Dallas Women Honored for their STEM Accomplishments

The hit movie Hidden Figures tells the story of three African American women mathematicians, Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson,  who played vital roles at NASA during the early years of the US space program.  The film has served as a source of inspiration for young women everywhere who dream of pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). 

The accomplishments of the women featured in Hidden Figures were nothing short of phenomenal, but the story didn't end with the closing credits.  The Dallas area chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), reminded us of that when they honored 10 Dallas area women during their Hidden Figures of Dallas Scholarship Fundraiser. 

The Hidden Figures of Dallas include a woman who holds 5 degrees including a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and a Master's Degree in Engineering Management,  one who designs proprietary chemical markers, which helps return millions of dollars to nations experiencing fuel theft and counterfeiting, an intellectual Property Lawyer, and a Clinical Research Professional.  These women are the embodiment of NSBE's mission which is "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community."

It's  no secret that there is a gender gap in engineering and computer occupations. *In 2015 women made up 24.7%  of computer and mathematical occupations, and 15.1% of architecture and engineering occupations. For women of color, the gap is even wider. Asian, Black and Latina women made up less than 10% of working scientist and engineers in the U.S. in 2013. 

Those numbers are bleak, but much like Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson, the 10 Hidden Figures of Dallas are living proof that women of color can thrive in STEM-related careers. 

Meet the honorees:

Victoria Brown, Ph.D., Clinical Research Professional
Victoria Brown is the Director of Clinical Research Administration for Children's Health System of Dallas.   She holds a Doctorate in Pharmacology (with an emphasis in neurosciences). She has received numerous fellowship awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other industries for her work in drug abuse research and treatment and has served as a scientific reviewer for NIH for more than a decade.

Juanita Deloach, Ph.D., Intellectual Property Lawyer
Juanita DeLoach is an intellectual property lawyer specializing in patent litigation. She holds 5 degrees including a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and a Master's Degree in Engineering Management.

Sherrelle Diggs, P.E., Civil Engineer Project Manager
Sherrelle Diggs has worked in civil engineering for more than 17 years including her current role as a Civil Engineer Project Manager at The Dimension Group in Dallas. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering and is a registered professional engineer in Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.

Leanne Metcalfe, Ph.D., Biomedical Engineer
Leanne Metcalfe is a Senior Director of Collaborative Research and Data Science at Health Care Service Corporation, the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. She holds a Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Yolanda Parker, Ph.D., Mathematics Professor
Yolanda Parker is a math professor at Tarrant County College and a representative for the school on the DFW Technology and  Education Council. She holds a Doctorate in Mathematics Education from Illinois State University.

Tiffany Ricks, M.S., Software Engineer
Tiffany Ricks is the CEO of Hacware, a custom software development company. Ricks has a Master's Degree in Management from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Sherrika Sanders, Ph.D., Director, R&D
Sherrika Sanders is Director of R&D at Authentix, Inc., where she designs proprietary chemical markers, which helps return millions of dollars to nations experiencing fuel theft and counterfeiting. She received her Doctorate in Chemistry from The University of Houston.

Alexis Scott, M.S., Systems Engineer
Alexis Scott is a Senior Principal Systems Engineer at Raytheon where she manages a team of 11 engineers. Scott has a Master's Degree in mathematics from the University of North Texas.

Jennifer Stimpson, M.A., Chemist
Jennifer Stimpson is a science teacher at The Hockaday School, federally-trained Forensic Chemist and Founder/Executive director of Knowledge in Chemistry, a science program dedicated to enhancing STEM Competency for K-12 students. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from Dillard University in New Orleans and was the first African-American woman to receive a Master's Degree in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Northern Iowa. 

Kenya Wilson, M.Ed., S.T.E.M. Specialist
Kenya Wilson is a Science Curriculum Coach at Lancaster ISD. Prior to her current role, she instilled the Project Lead the Way Engineering and Robotics curriculum at Uplift Hampton Preparatory School. Wilson has a Master's Degree in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University in Arizona.






Thank you NSBE for unveiling these Hidden Figures!

For more information about The National Society of Black Engineers CLICK HERE. 

*Catalyst. Quick Take: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). New York: Catalyst, December 9, 2016.

The upcoming Presidential election is one of the most anticipated that I can recall during my lifetime.  You can point to a lot of factors that have voters chomping at the bit to cast ballots in a few weeks, but I think it all boils down to race.  There is a faction of people that will do whatever it takes to prevent this Nations first African American president from earning a second term,  regardless of the positive accomplishments he's been able to achieve. From day one President Obama has had his religion, leadership ability and patriotism questioned.  He has withstood criticism on every front and all because there are some that don't think an African American man is fit to lead this country.  That's a sad commentary and is an indication that this country has learned nothing from it's past and still has a very long way to go.

The saving grace for the US is the fact that at the end of the day, citizens determine who their leaders will be.  We simply need to exercise the right that is probably the least appreciated among Americans.  The right to vote. Today is national voter registration day so if you're not a registered voter,  now is the time to take care of that problem.  If you don't vote you have effectively relinquished your right to complain and provide input about the state of things in this country. Don't lose your voice, register to vote and then go out and cast your ballot on November 6. 

Voters Must Stay Focused

By now most of us have heard the latest gaffe by presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.  You know, the 47% comments? Well, it never ceases to amaze me how shocked people are when politicians make statements that reveal their true selves. Are you really surprised? Mitt Romney is who you thought he was, an elitist, possible racist man who is totally out of touch with the real world. Didn't we already know that?  Romney's comments don't bother me and maybe that speaks to how desensitized I've become to this type of language.  Most people I know aren't even remotely considering voting for Romney, so why should it matter so much what he says?  We can be so easily distracted. What we need to be focused on is getting people to the polls at a 2008 rate.

Let's concentrate on fighting the new voter I.D. laws that have popped up to combat the imaginary demon of voter fraud.  That's where our collective energy  needs to be directed. Not at a man who doesn't have a clue about what it takes to lead a country. A recent report on CBS News stated that as many as 700,000 minority voters under age 30 may be unable to cast a ballot in November because of photo ID laws in certain states.  Now that's scary to me. Much scarier than anything that comes out of Mitt Romney's mouth.  I hope we don't fall for the banana in the tailpipe routine come election time. Let's focus on the real issues.

Tebow

Tim Tebow. That name has been the source of great debate over the last few weeks.  His very public displays of faith have thrust him into the media spotlight.  Some have gone as far as to attribute any success he has experienced on the field to his faith.  Here's my take. Tim Tebow is at best an average football player. His team is in the playoffs because the defense started to play lights out at the same time Tebow took over as the starter.  That's it in a nutshell.  His devotion to his religion is admirable, but his football skills and his faith are two totally separate things.  Tim Tebow is not the only Christian in the NFL, not even on his team,  and it's ridiculous to suggest that God somehow favors Tebow over all of the other Christians in the league.   I believe this is a non-story if Mr. Tebow were of another ethnicity.  Luckily we will be able to put this discussion to bed after the Broncos get bounced in the Wildcard round of the playoffs.

We Shouldn't Be Surprised

The Republican primaries have been interesting to say the least. From the rise and fall of Herman Cain to the embarrassing gaffes of Rick Perry to the  recent onslaught of racist comments made by some of  the candidates.   Sadly, the undercurrent of racism doesn't surprise me. I realize that minorities, African-Americans in particular, are not looked upon favorably by a lot of people in this country. I'm also not surprised that double standards based on race still exist. What does surprise me is the overreaction to these incidents. When I hear these ignorant remarks I simply make note of who made the comment and place that person in my "ignorant" box.  My advice to the African-American community is to focus your collective energy on things you can control, like turning out in large numbers at the polls to ensure no one that holds to racist ideologies ever takes office.  It's ok to be outraged.......for about 5 minutes.  After that we need to move on and not let these people distract us. Racism is alive and well in this country and will probably never go away. We need to come to grips with that fact. In spite of that we can still take control of our communities. Let's focus on that.

8 Year Old Outliers

This proves it is possible for our kids to excel in math and science........if it becomes a priority.

Washington snubbed again

Two World Series appearances in as many years weren't enough for Texas Ranger manager Ron Washington to win the 2011 MLB American League manager of the year award. In fact, he received only one first place vote. I won't even name the winner.  I'll let you find that out on your own. Exactly what is the criteria for winning this award?  It's amazing how little credit Washington gets for his role in the Rangers recent success. I guess that's the way baseball goes.