Boeing

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] is the only organization this year to have three employees recognized with Asian-American Engineer of the Year awards.

Boeing employees Dr. Shreekant Agrawal and Viet H. Nguyen, both of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Lawrence Y. Dong of Everett, Wash., were among 14 engineers honored Feb. 28 at the annual awards ceremony sponsored by the Chinese Institute of Engineers.

"The leadership, technical expertise and diverse skills these engineers bring to our Boeing team are admirable," says Joan Robinson-Berry, Boeing deputy vice president of Technical Relations. "This recognition from an external source validates our company's competitiveness and innovation, and it salutes the value these engineers bring to our customers."

Established in 2002, the awards program provides a venue for recognizing the technical contributions of Asian-American professionals in the public and private sectors. Hank Queen, vice president of Engineering and Manufacturing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, was the keynote speaker.

Founded in 1917, the Chinese Institute of Engineers advances the science and profession of engineering and promotes the development of engineering projects. The Boeing Company has been a major sponsor of these awards for two years.

Dr. Shreekant Agrawal
Dr. Shreekant Agrawal, an engineering manager and Boeing Technical Fellow, is a nationally recognized expert in high-speed aerodynamics for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in Huntington Beach, Calif. In this role, he oversees development of technology and tools, and promotes common processes and best practices among Air Force Space Systems programs at the site.

Dr. Agrawal began his career at Boeing in 1986. Since then, he has become an expert in high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics methods for supersonic commercial transport, hypersonic missiles, space launch vehicles and military aircraft programs. A patent was granted in 1999 for his work in High-Speed Aerodynamic optimization technologies. He also participated in the Boeing Executive Development Program, a two-year rotational assignment designed to strengthen leadership skills, broaden business acumen, and provide real business solutions to critical, strategic issues facing the company. He completed the program in February 2003.

Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Agrawal has written more than 100 reports and 11 archival journal articles. He also received a number of awards from Boeing, NASA, and the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics for his dedicated service. He earned his doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, a master's in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, and a bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

Lawrence Y. Dong
Dong is configuration leader for the 7E7 program, perhaps the single most significant product in development at Boeing Commercial Airplanes today. The 7E7 has the potential to be a paradigm-shift advancement in civil aviation of a magnitude comparable to the 707 and 747.

The configuration and technical challenges facing the 7E7 are substantial. Dong leads a large team comprised of many disciplines. Together, they are striving to develop and refine the 7E7 configuration.

Prior to his current assignment, Dong was the Sonic Cruiser configuration leader, responsible for researching future commercial airplane platforms smaller than 7E7. He was instrumental in the development of the 737 winglet and the 737-700 Convertible (C-40A). In other prior assignments, Dong made major contributions to the product development efforts leading to the 757-300 and to advanced design and large airplane product development.

Dong is a member of the Boeing Association for Asian Pacific Americans, including service as a board member and event planner in 1998. He also served as a board member of the Chinese American Association of Professionals from 1996 to 1998, and a board member of the Asian Management Business Association from 199 through 1997.

Viet H. Nguyen
Nguyen, a technical lead for the X-37 reusable technology demonstrator, is a Technical Fellow and a nationally recognized expert in the field of guidance, navigation and control of reusable launch vehicles. Based in Huntington Beach, Calif., Nguyen has a bachelor's of science degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and a master's of engineering degree from University of California-Berkeley.

Nguyen joined the company in 1981, where he spent the first 13 years of his career designing and operating the space shuttle re-entry system. He has provided technical leadership for various experimental space aircraft, including the X-34 Reusable Launch Vehicle and the X40A Space Maneuver Vehicle, which resulted in a multimillion-dollar NASA contract for Boeing.

His current work on the X-37 involves leading a 17-member team in the design of the guidance navigation and control system for the test vehicle. The X-37 is expected to advance space transportation by providing new, lower cost technologies for future spacecraft.

Nguyen has received numerous awards for his work and has written many articles. His community service includes working with the City of Cerritos Parks and Recreation Department as a basketball coach and the American Youth Soccer Organization as a soccer coach. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Asian-American Professional Association.

Note to editors: National Engineers week was Feb. 22-28.