Boeing

Four Boeing employees will be honored for their pursuit of excellence at the 2004 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Conference Feb. 19-21 in Baltimore, Md. These awards recognize the achievements of some of the country's most successful black engineers, scientists and technology leaders.

The employees -- Dr. Henry Grooms, Dr. Joseph C. Mills, Michael A. Avery and Michael J. Emanuel -- will be presented awards in three separate categories during the 18th BEYA conference, one of the nation's premier technology events. All are employees of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Their work in structural, nuclear, avionics and simulation engineering is helping to revolutionize space exploration and advance U.S. defense systems.

"The Black Engineer of the Year awards are synonymous with quality, commitment and integrity," said Joan Berry-Robinson, Boeing deputy vice president of Technical Relations. "Our Boeing winners are being recognized for their work in pushing the boundaries of technology frontiers. They help drive the innovation and agility of our multidimensional, global workforce."

The Boeing Company is one of 130 companies, government agencies, colleges and universities that support the event. Grooms, Mills, Avery and Emanuel join 16 Boeing employees nationwide who have been honored in previous years at the BEYA conference.

The Boeing honorees are based in Huntington Beach and Pasadena, Calif., St. Louis, and Philadelphia respectively.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Henry Grooms, senior manager of Strength, Structural Analysis and Design for the Engineering organization at Boeing's operations in Huntington Beach, Calif. Grooms is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his distinguished work in structural engineering on the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs. The Lifetime Achievement award recognizes people whose accomplishments demonstrate positive results for minorities in technology fields. A 35-year employee, Dr. Grooms leads a team of more than 80 people who perform technical, structural and stress analysis of such space systems programs as the Delta launch vehicle, the X-37 Reusable Space Plane and the Space Shuttle.

Pioneer Award

Dr. Joseph C. Mills, vice president for Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) in Pasadena, will receive the only Pioneer Award being awarded this year. He is being recognized for his work on the International Space Station. The Pioneer Award is given to individuals who have made professional gains in fields that may have been previously not occupied by African Americans. Mills, who has a doctorate in nuclear engineering from University of California-Los Angeles, spent many years in the nuclear industry and most recently served as vice president and program manager on the space station, overseeing the station's solar power requirements. Today, Dr. Mills is leading the Boeing effort, under a NASA contract, to explore technology options for building the nation's first nuclear fission reactor-powered interplanetary spacecraft. In 2002, Aviation Week magazine awarded Dr. Mills a Laureate of the Year for Space.

The Modern Technology Award

Michael Avery, a senior engineer at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in Philadelphia, and Mike Emanuel, an embedded software engineer in St. Louis, are two of 10 recipients of the Modern Technology Leader award. This award recognizes up-and-coming black women and men who are helping to shape the future of engineering, science and technology.

Michael J. Avery
Avery, who has been with Boeing since 1984, is a team leader for the Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter program. He helps manage a team of six suppliers that develop, produce and integrate flight-worthy equipment and components that provide advanced reconnaissance capabilities for the Comanche. As a senior engineer with a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering technology, Avery has held engineering positions of increasing responsibility on several Boeing aircraft and aerospace programs, including the CH-47 Chinook, the Boeing 360, the V-22 Osprey helicopter programs and the International Space Station.

Michael J. Emanuel
Emanuel develops flight simulation tests for equipment and systems destined for the U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. A self-described "sci-fi kid," this St. Louis native loves the victory of the chase and credits his quest for knowledge as the driving factor in his career. A graduate of the University of Missouri at Rolla, Emanuel holds a B.S. degree in electrical engineering. He currently leads an engineering team that is developing a manned flight hardware simulator for the Super Hornet. This simulator will serve as an avionics test bed for all future upgrades to the F/A-18E/F.