BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS Corporate Promotion of Education
Yolanda Murphy Sector Manager of
Communications and Public Relations Northrop Grumman Corporation
wants them to be success- ful, and they can feel her endless passion for promot-
K
ing education and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She is driven by the success of the young people she leads through her educational outreach program in Northrop Grumman’s Laser Systems business unit. Over the past six years, Murphy has put time and effort into seeking new opportunities to work with members of the public, schools, community centers and organizations to create programs that promote STEM. Among the programs under her watch is The New Im-
age Youth Center. Located in Orlando, Fla., this refuge for 50 children aged 5 to 19 is making the Parramore neighborhood in Orlando a safer place through educational opportunities, housing, healthcare and after-school and summer activities. Murphy has been involved in every aspect of the Youth Center’s develop- ment, including getting other sponsors and volunteers on board. Another partnership she initiated between Northrop Grumman and the Orlando Science Center (OSC) led to the creation of the Northrop Grumman Science Extravaganza, which allowed her to arrange an on-site science day and night for students from low- income families. The program has been so successful that it has been a springboard for OSC joint efforts, such as the Northrop Grumman Science Day Camp and the Science Laser Academy. Murphy is at the forefront of all of these efforts and continues to strive for greater collaboration. Murphy’s participation in Elevate Orlando, a program that equips urban youth to graduate high school and plan for the future, has helped many students. In addi- tion to one-on-one sharing, she has coordinated engineering ex- periences for participating students to spend a day in the life of an engineer. She is particularly proud of having arranged this for a young aspiring engineer who she’d encouraged to complete high school against the odds. Over the past five years, her participation in a school with a high population of second-language learners has been instrumental in raising the level of science and technol- ogy knowledge for the students through tutoring, special events and a summer camp. Murphy has also been active in the Univer- sity of Central Florida’s Conference on Engineering Education, the Engineering Futures Forum program, and the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering (SECME) Regional Competition. She also serves on the board of the Central Florida STEM Education Council.
In addition to her busy outreach duties, Murphy is respon- sible for all sector communications for the targeting systems divi-
www.blackengineer.com
ids love Yolanda Murphy. She
sion of Northrop Grumman. She manages department personnel and projects, interfaces with the media and directs publicity programs that inform, promote and clarify public messag- ing and communications on behalf of the company. She also manages and facilitates employee social events, corporate functions and VIP visits and tours. She organizes and executes events that align with workforce engagement to encourage volunteerism and increase employee morale. In addition to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communication and Computer Graphics (magna cum laude), which she earned at International Academy of Design and Technology in 2006, she is now completing a professional certificate in event manage- ment at the George Washington University School of Business and will earn her Master of Business Administration in the winter of 2012 from Kaplan University.
Entrepreneurial Leadership
Robert Wallace President/CEO/Founder BITHGroup Technologies Inc.
over his career, but the 2009 Baltimore Mayor’s Business Recognition Award, for a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) internship program for young people from low-income neighborhoods, must have struck a chord. Wallace grew up in the projects of Balti- more, where he began dreaming of running a business and help- ing people. The mayor’s award was given in acknowledgment of the civic leadership and community service work that Wallace and his company, Bithgroup, do to make Baltimore a better place to live, work and do business. Of special note was the firm’s internship program. For six to eight weeks each summer, they assign deserving students a mentor within the company executive pool. The interns work on technical research related to energy engineering, wireless engineering, biometrics and information technology services. The sum of Wallace’s awards plot the complete picture of his dedication to the empowerment and advancement of minority business efforts. They include, in 2002, a Howard County Equal Business Opportunity Award, recognition from U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency, and a Certificate of Merit and Award from the University of Eastern Africa, Kenya, as well as numerous citations from the state of Maryland Governor, in 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, and in 2009. He was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Minority Business Enterprises in 2006 and 2008, and was chosen as an entrepreneur who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in four key areas:
R USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 21
obert Wallace has received many an honor
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