BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS Special Recognition
WENDELL SCRUGGS Director of Computational Science, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)
Special Recognition
BRIAN SMITH, PH.D. Sr. Engineering Specialist, Systems Analysis Department, General Dynamics Corporation
Dr. Smith’s research, which mea- sures injury tolerance in the tibia and the spine as a result of a mine or im- provised explosive device (IED) blast under a combat vehicle, has yielded significant improvements. General Dynamics has developed a better design for combat vehicles, saving lives with improved seat designs. Through comparative work utilizing hybrid crash dummies and cadavers, Dr. Smith has become a leader in the evaluation of appropriate methods for the prediction of injury and surviv- ability. As a principal investigator in
the field of biomechanics, he collaborates with research labs, universities and hospitals. Recent partnerships have included the Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, Henry Ford Hospital, Roush Industries and his alma mater, Wayne State University. Dr. Smith has been a devoted member of the Tuskegee Airmen for 27 years. The son of a WWII POW, he is a former president of the Detroit chapter of the Tuskegee Airman, and director of Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum Expansion at the Detroit City Airport. He is a licensed pilot, and also a member of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers.
Wendell Scruggs lettered four times as a linebacker at the College of William and Mary, while completing a strenuous academic schedule. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1988. After two years at SAIC, he won rare financial support for grad school, where he earned his master’s of science in 1994 and a Ph.D. in applied math- ematics in 1996. Soon after Dr. Scruggs returned as a senior engineer in 2000, he joined an SAIC team working on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Human Identification at a Distance program. When R&D efforts hit a snag, he developed his biometrics —fingerprint, face, and iris recognition— experimentation environment (BEE), which solved the problems and pro- vided the infrastructure. Within the BEE framework, a face recognition algorithm developed—faster than its predecessor by a factor of 1,000. Dr. Scruggs’ and his team’s reputation were so good, the fruits of their efforts were integrated into tools used in Iraq, saving the lives of American soldiers and marines. Other trailblazing projects include biometric and database development for the FBI, and image processing algorithms for the Army Night Visions Lab.
www.blackengineer.com Special Recognition
EDWIN TATEM, P.E. President, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Michigan, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Edwin Tatem has managed PB’s Michigan offices in Detroit, Southfield, and Lansing since 2005. During this time, one contract grew from $2.6 mil- lion in 2006 to $7.8 million in 2009; another client contract has grown from $6 million in 2006 to $18 million in 2009. Mr. Tatem continues to surpass goals each year, growing the office from 68 to 120 employees in just five years. In 2009, he appeared in the PB Annual Review for his contribution to the new 15-bus bay, 27,500 square foot Rosa Parks Transit facility in Detroit. He was principal-in-charge of the $22.5 million project, which has renewed interest in the city’s public transit. Growing up as an immigrant in New York City, young Ed Tatem was fascinated by the skyscrapers, bridges and subway systems. He gradu- ated from Brooklyn Technical School and
continued his studies at the Pratt Institute, where he received his bachelor’s degree in engineering. He went on to Wayne State University and completed his master’s degree in civil engineering in 1990. As an engineer, he worked for the Michigan Department of Transportation and Road Commission of Macomb County, where his concentration was bridges, road design and construction. He serves as a great role model and is committed to mentoring.
USBE&IT I WINTER 2011 45
BEYA Logo Colors: Pantone coated: 382 CMYK: 29-0-100-0 Grey: 45% K
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