BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
aircraft carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning aircraft. He also led logistic support to the U.S. Navy and foreign military. In 2010 he was promoted to Sector Vice President. He and his team provide aircraft sustainment and modernization to Department of Defense customers, NASA, the United Kingdom and other allies.
Promotion of Collegiate Education
Major Michael M. Burns
Admissions Officer United States Military Academy U.S. Army
“
Military Academy] class,” says Major Michael Burns. Since taking the position
I
t takes a village to build a diverse USMA [U.S.
of
Minority Admissions Officer at the Military Academy at West Point in 2009, he has increased the number of historically under- represented students each year. 2011 saw the highest number of African American students entering USMA in history. Of the 34 percent of minority students enrolled, West Point welcomed 135 African Americans and one hundred and twenty-two Hispanic students. Major Burns attributes this success to his diversity team of outreach officers, supportive faculty, staff, alumni, and innovative summer programs, such as the annual science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workshop, which celebrated its second year and saw an increase from 80 to 99 students hailing from eighteen states. Burns realizes the importance of developing relationships with national organi- zations such as 100 Black Men of America, National Urban League, and the League of United Latin American Citizens. In support of these partnerships, the academy offered scholarships in 2010-2011 to 16 organizations, making it possible for diverse students who wouldn’t normally attend. In addition to managing, evaluating and monitoring 2,500 diverse applications annually for admission to West Point, Burns is also in charge of a program that brings back recent graduates to visit high schools and junior high schools throughout the United States to provide information, mentoring and assistance to prospective West Point candidates from historically under-represented groups. Burns graduated from West Point in 2000 and then attended flight school and did his basic officer leaders course in Alabama. After, he was assigned as the attack flight platoon leader in charge of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 to 2005. Under the direction of General David Petraeus, Burns was later assigned re- sponsibility for reconstruction projects in five Iraqi cities. He also served as commander, Regimental Headquarters Troop from 2005 to 2007. Burns earned a master’s degree in Management from Webster University and a master’s degree in Business Adminis- tration from the University of Notre Dame.
20 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012
Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) working on the rockets, mis- siles and spacecraft that keep America safe. Her job allows her to mingle with the country’s defense leaders and work with some of the best minds in missile system technology. Oftentimes, these scientists and engineers are the first ones to find something that hasn’t been discovered yet or build some- thing new.
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Over the past eight years, she has also volunteered for a number of activities from class- room speaking events to staff appreciation days, coat drives, book drives and fundraisers that help elderly people with food and grocery gift cards in Mary- land’s Howard County, Prince George’s County and in Fairfax, Va. She’s served on PTA boards at her three children’s schools; in June 2011, she was added to the roll of honorary life members of the 210,000-strong Maryland PTA because of her devoted service to children and young people in the state. Hilliard has served as a judge at science fairs, trained people aged 2 to 60 on the use of technology in scientific research, volunteered with MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Sci- ence Achievement) programs at local, county and regional levels, and given talks to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders on career days. She also founded a mentor program for students in the Aerospace Engineering division of the Tuskegee University Engineering Alumni Associa- tion. Because of her efforts, the upperclassmen of the Engineering Department were paired with alumni like herself in their fields of interest for guidance on careers and other life decisions. In 1995, Hilliard was one of four African Americans to gradu- ate with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Science from Tuskegee University. As a new engineer, she spent two years in design at Cessna Aircraft before joining the Naval Sea Systems Command as a systems engineer in 1997. Four years later, she joined APL’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense program and has worked in a number of missile technology and weapon system programs at the laboratory. She served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1993 to 2001.
Commitment to Education
African-American engineers have a healthy appetite for continuing education. Candace Cooley with the Department of Defense is a scientist and chemical engineer and she is also a full-time stu- dent pursuing a master’s degree in systems engineering. Likewise Cedric Bazemore, a project engi- neer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has been studying to pass two exams to earn a license as a professional engineer.
anielle Hilliard spends her day at the Johns
Community Service
Danielle Hilliard Project Manager and Technical Leader
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
www.blackengineer.com
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