Dr. Eugene Tu, Center Director of the Ames Research Center has endorsed the following nominations for the 2019 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA):
• Dr. Marcus Johnson (Code A) – Most Promising Engineer (BEYA)
• Dr. Wendy Okolo (Code T) – Most Promising Engineer (BEYA)
• Kenneth Freeman (Code I) – Career Achievement (BEYA)
• Kevin L. Jones (Code I) – Career Achievement (BEYA)
Congratulations to these outstanding Ames employees on their nominations!
Two NASA employees are being honored this year by SASE for their accomplishments:
Dr.Yong-IL Yi, Senior Project Manager at Johnson Space Center: Technical/Research/Business Achievement
Mr. Son Le, Pressure Systems Manager at Stennis Space Center: SASE Career Achievement Award
Congratulations on your remarkable achievements!
On Take Your Child to Work Day, NASA Headquarters employees took the opportunity to show their children what they do at NASA.
Administrator Bridenstine welcomed employees and questions from children during the opening session, which also included an interactive presentation by Astronaut Alvin Drew.
Congratulations to a stunning 11 NASA winners of this year’s National Women of Color awards!
Brenda Ellis, Glenn Research Center: Career Achievement – Government
Maricela Lizcano, Glenn Research Center: Technical Innovation – Government
Ali Guarneros Luna, Ames Research Center: Outstanding Technical Contribution – Government
Jasmine Keeton, Johnson Space Center: Technology Rising Star
Desiree Smith, Johnson Space Center: Technology Rising Star
Andrea Bynum, Langley Research Center: Technology Rising Star
Octavia Hicks, Langley Research Center: Technology Rising Star
Jessica Taylor, Langley Research Center: Corporate Promotion of Education
Gugu Rutherford, Langley Research Center: Technology Rising Star
Susan Gorton, Langley Research Center: Outstanding Technical Contribution – Government
Dawn Davis, Stennis Space Center: Professional Achievement – Government
Thank you for your hard work and excellence!
NASA joins organizations across the world to celebrate Women’s Equality Day on August 26.
The date was selected to celebrate the Women’s Suffrage Movement’s greatest victory—women’s achievement of full voting rights following the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920. The Women’s Equality Day observance not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also represents women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.
At every level of society, women have been at the forefront of progress and innovation, and today we recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women across the globe who fought through barriers for equality.
Women’s Equality Day coincides with the 100th birthday of Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. Katherine is a pioneer who paved the way for women at NASA and beyond. We send birthday wishes to Katherine and thank her for her fearless service. Resilient women like Katherine have inspired and encouraged countless others to challenge the status quo to advance.
I also want to recognize the talented women of NASA at all levels of the organization, whose diligent leadership and commitment help us accomplish NASA’s mission. Our female scientists and engineers continue to inspire the next generation to pursue STEM education and careers. As we recognize their accomplishments, we also reinforce our commitment to equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion for the NASA workforce.
I encourage you to participate in activities at NASA and in your communities to commemorate Women’s Equality Day.
Steve Shih, Esq.
Associate Administrator
Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace reconvened in June 2018 to continue the effort to prevent workplace harassment. The Commission heard from expert witnesses on “Transforming #MeToo into Harassment-Free Workplaces” at a meeting open to the public. A second panel was devoted to innovative strategies to promote workplaces free of harassing conduct.
The Select Task Force released a report in June 2016, which includes recommendations regarding leadership, accountability, policies and procedures, training, and developing a sense of collective responsibility: https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/task_force/harassment/task_force_report.cfm.
As a result of the report, the EEOC developed an innovative training program called Respectful Workplaces provided in over 200 training sessions to over 5,200 employees and supervisors in 18 states. Since the report’s released, the EEOC has conducted about 2,700 outreach events related to harassment, reaching approximately 300,000 individuals.
The EEOC has also identified a number of promising practices, as a result of the task force, to enhance employers’ compliance efforts: https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/promising-practices.cfm.
LOCATION: Bldg. 8, Room 183 – Photo Studio
SUBJECT: HISPANIC EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP (ERG) PORTRAIT PROJECT: William Davis
PHOTOGRAPHER: Lauren Harnett
Will Davis, an Equal Opportunity Specialist at Johnson Space Center, has received the Santiago Rodriguez Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation, Great Minds in STEM. For this award, candidates must show effectiveness of implementing diversity & inclusion goals and/or changes within an organization, promoting Hispanic awareness within an organization, outreach to the Hispanic community, efforts to promote STEM career development with impact on Hispanics and other underserved communities, and community outreach including schools, universities and non–profits. Congratulations, Will!
Welcome to NASA’s Diversity and Inclusion Blog and part 4 of our Anti-Harassment Campaign post! Certainly, preventing harassment is the right thing to do, and reflects our shared values as a Nation and as an Agency. However, harassment prevention is also just good business.
There is a compelling business case for stopping and preventing harassment. Harassment is incredibly expensive for organizations who disregard the issue at their own peril:
In 2015, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recovered $164.5 million for private sector workers alleging harassment.
In 1994, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board estimated sexual harassment led to a Government cost of $327.1 million, in addition to monies paid through settlements.
Further, harassment causes significant mental, physical, and economic harm to victims, and harms all workers and their organizations through its impacts, by decreased attendance, productivity, and morale; increased turnover; and reputational harm.
Which argument appeals to you more strongly – the ethical or the business case? Why? What benefits and/or shortcomings do you think might be inherent in either case? Is there an argument to be made for an amalgam of both?
I appreciate, as always, your insightful comments!
Steve Shih, Esq.
Associate Administrator
Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity
10 Latina engineers, physicists, techies, and STEM activists are breaking glass ceilings, solving major scientific problems, creating innovative products that save lives, and creating programs for young Latinas. One of them is our very own, NASA engineer Scarlin Hernandez at Goddard Space Flight Center:
https://www.hnmagazine.com/2018/08/adp-foundation-awards-grant-mujeres-de-hace-program/
“I want to be able to motivate people and tell them they can do it, they can go after their dream. Sometimes they just need to see that one person who fought all of the odds,” she says in a video for NASA.
NASA is proud to announce that the Great Minds in STEM 2018 Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation (HENAAC) Award Winners include 4 honorees from NASA this year!
Professional Achievement – II
Andres Martinez
Program Executive, Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Division
Human Exploration and Operations Missions Directorate
NASA Ames Research Center
Most Promising Engineering-Graduate, Ph.D.
Maricela Lizcano, Ph.D.
Research Materials Engineer
Materials Chemistry and Physics Branch
NASA Glenn Research Center
Santiago Rodriguez Diversity & Inclusion Award
William C. Davis
Deputy Diversity & Inclusion Manager/Equal Employment Specialist
Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity
NASA Johnson Space Center
Luminary Honoree
Steven Gonzalez
Technology Transfer Strategist
NASA Johnson Space Center
Congratulations!
