BALTIMORE - TelAve -- The Women of Color STEM Conference, hosted by Career Communications Group (CCG), gathers an audience of the nation's respected leaders in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) from Fortune 500 companies to government entities and colleges and universities to recognize the achievements of women from diverse backgrounds who inspire and forge new paths in STEM careers.

The 26th Annual Women of Color STEM Conference, whose theme is set to Reset to Rise: It's A New Day!, will launch on October 7, 2021, through a Digital Twin Experience (DTX). The events that have made this conference the go-to experience for those in STEM-related careers and industries will now be made available to participate fully from a computer or mobile device.

Women of Color is on a mission to strengthen the pipelines that increase the number of women in STEM. With the recent pandemic creating a wider achievement gap due to the digital divide, it is important now more than ever to ensure that we are bringing a talented diverse workforce into the future.

In addition to a series of events for attendees to gather, learn, and grow together, the conference hosts an awards ceremony to honor women from a myriad of backgrounds who have overcome obstacles, paved new ways towards success, and have spent time mentoring and nurturing the next generation of STEM leaders. This year's prestigious Technologist of the Year will be awarded to Mei Cai, Director, Battery Cell Research Systems at General Motors Research and Development.

The 2021 Women of Color STEM Award Recipients

Technologist of the Year

Mei Cai, Ph.D.
Director, Battery Cell Research Systems
General Motors

Career Achievement - Government

Rona Bunn
Chief Information Officer
U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration

Maria N. Goerger, Ph.D.
Special Assistant for AI, M&S, and Analysis for the Information Technology Lab Director
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

Career Achievement - Industry

Delores Alexander
Vice President, Global Services Supplier Management

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The Boeing Company

Deirdre Fultz
Plant Manager - Indiana Transmission Plant
Stellantis

Florence Heidel
Scientist
L3Harris Technology, Inc.

Community Service - Government

Treva T. Brown, Ph.D.
Physical Scientist
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

Community Service - Industry

Daniel Chambers
Multi-Functional Engineering and Science Manager
Lockheed Martin

Corporate Responsibility

Rhonda Childress
Vice President and IBM Fellow, Business Information Security Officer
IBM

Candice M. Smith, PMP
Director, Engineering People Strategy
The Boeing Company

Diversity Leadership

Odetta Scott
Associate Director, Indirect Procurement
Collins Aerospace, Operations & Quality
Raytheon Technologies

Educational Leadership - College-Level Promotion of Education

Freddie Dixon, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Program Director, NSF HBCU Undergraduate Program, NSF Scholarships in STEM
University of the District of Columbia

Education Leadership - Corporate Promotion of Education

Lakshana Mohee, Ph.D.
Education Development Manager
Ansys

GEM Outstanding Young Alumnus

Yazmin Feliz, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Columbia University55

Managerial Leadership - Government

Leah Haugen
Program Manager, Partnership Intermediary
Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Yazmin Seda-Sanabria
Chief, Civil Works Data Analysis and Information Systems, Institute for Water Resources
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Managerial Leadership - Industry

Deborah A. Brown
Senior Director, U.S. Toxicology Laboratories
Abbott

Lakela Lofton
Program Manager
Huntington Ingalls Industries

New Media/IT Leadership

Jasmine W. Strait
Director, U.S. Specialized Infrastructure Operations
The Boeing Company

Outstanding Technical Contribution - Government

Leslie Leonard, Ph.D.
Computer Scientist
U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center

Outstanding Technical Contribution - Industry

Eunice Allen-Bradley
Angled UltraSonic Inspection Original Equipment Manufacturer Implementation Lead
Pratt & Whitney, Engineering
Raytheon Technologies

Bindu Sundaresan
Director - Cybersecurity
AT&T

Professional Achievement - Government

Master Sergeant Tahnika Bessant
334th Fighter Squadron First Shirt , 4th Fighter Wing
U.S. Air Force

Candi Hudson, Ph.D.
Technical Advisor, Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement
U.S. Department of the Interior

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LTC Latoya M. Manzey
Deputy District Commander
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District

Professional Achievement - Industry

Tracey Espero
Director of Platform Programs and Orca Program Manager, Maritime Undersea
Huntington Beach Site Executive
The Boeing Company

Mandakini Kanungo, Ph.D.
Research Associate – Thin Films & Surfaces
Corning Research and Development Corporation

Changchang Liu, Ph.D.
Research Staff Member, IBM Research
IBM

Student Leadership - Undergraduate Level

1/c Emi Siler
Charlie Company Executive Officer
U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Technical Innovation

Mei Li , Ph.D.
Corteva Laureate
Corteva Agriscience

Special Recognition

Tracy A. Clark
Manager, Flight Test Instrumentation and Data Operations
Bell Textron, Inc.

Takia Easley
Program Manager, Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines
Raytheon Technologies

Krystal Folkes
Cloud Solution Architect, U.S. Retail and Consumer Goods
Microsoft

Nor Farida Harun, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Leidos

Akissi C. Lewis
IT Strategist & Acting Chief of Staff for CIO
Dropbox

Rahel Rudd
Branch Chief Engineer, Human Systems Division
U.S. Air Force

Fleur Ryan
Vice President of Defense Growth & Strategy
Jacobs

Frenae Smith
Manager of Codes and Standards and Laboratory Services
DTE Energy

Rita D. Williams
Budget Analyst, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Suman Woolums
Human Systems Engineer
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

Rekha Wunnava
Global Director, Automotive Design & Build IT
Ford Motor Company

Dian Xu
Director, Engineering
Rocket Mortgage
Rocket Companies

Pioneer Award

Master Sergeant Bonnie Rushing
Instructor, USAF Academy
United States Air Force

President's Award

The Honorable Cheryl Campbell
Assistant Secretary for Administration
Department of Health and Human Services

About Women of Color Conference

The Women of Color STEM Conference, now in its 26th year, has been the venue where women and men from diverse backgrounds have come to recognize outstanding achievements in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), celebrate excellence in STEM-related fields, and create a career learning and networking environment. www.womenofcolor.net

For more information on CCG please visit www.ccgmag.com.