The Hispanic Engineer of the Year Award is presented for overall leadership and technical achievement. You may not nominate an individual for the Hispanic Engineer or Scientist of the Year Award. This individual is selected from among the top candidates submitted in all professional categories. This honoree can be a leader working in any area of science, engineering and technology, including research, technology development or technology management. Technology leaders considered for this honor are meeting the demands of today’s rapidly advancing technology and dynamic economic environment. They have mastered the art of managing multi-skilled teams to solve complex technical and business problems. The HENAAC Selection Committee is searching for an individual who models the kind of technical excellence and executive leadership that significantly impact an industry, a field of science and/or engineering, our community, and our nation. 

(Up to 4 Categories)

            -Industry

            -National Laboratories/Government

            -Military

            -Academia 

 

For 2008 individuals in Industry will compete against other Industry nominees.  Candidates from National Laboratories and Government agencies will be judged in a separate round and all members of the military will compete opposite each other.  The Academia category is for Professors being recognized for the current research and projects they are currently working on.

 

The candidate must have made a significant contribution to science, engineering or technology by having designed, developed, managed or assisted in the development of a product, service, system or intellectual property.

 

Outstanding technical achievement will be judged on the following criteria:

      1. Uniqueness of his/her research

      2. Degree of impact research has on humankind

      3. Patents or Published works

      4. Potential as a role model

      5. Involvement with the Hispanic Community

(2 Categories)

-         Organizations with over $20 billion in revenues

-         Organizations with under $20 billion in revenues

 

For 2008 the Executive Excellence award has been divided into two categories to balance the playing field between organizations with revenues over and under $20 billion.  Individuals will compete in separate categories based on the revenue of their respective organizations.  Nominees from the military and government will be classified by their organizations total annual budget.

 

This nominee must be an upper-level manager or a well-established individual who has large department and budget responsibilities. This person should have twenty plus years of experience in the science, engineering or technology fields.

 

Executive excellence will be judged on the following criteria:

      1. Uniqueness of his/her obtained goal

      2. Level of responsibilities

      3. Degree of discipline for level of performance

      4. Overcoming obstacles of minorities in his/her field

      5. Potential as a role model

      6. Involvement with the Hispanic community

This category was created to honor individuals that are currently not executives and have given 21 or more years of amazing service and commitment in science, engineering or other technical field(s).   

 

Lifetime achievement will be judged on the following criteria:

1.      Total combined years of employment in science, engineering or other technical field(s)

2.      Career highlights including top projects, programs, patents and inventions that the candidate has lead and/or been a key contributor

3.      Past and current mentoring of fellow professionals

4.      Ability to be an ambassador for the organization they currently work for

5.      Involvement with the Hispanic community

(4 Categories)

            -Industry

            -National Laboratories/Government

            -Military

            -Academia

 

For 2008 individuals in Industry will compete against other Industry nominees.  Candidates from National Laboratories and Government agencies will be judged in a separate round and all members of the military will compete opposite each other.

 

The candidate must be a well-established manager or have project responsibility. This individual should have 8 to 20 years experience in a technical field and should have made significant contributions in that arena.

 

Professional achievement will be judged on the following criteria:

      1. Uniqueness of his/her obtained goal

      2. Level of responsibilities

      3. Degree of discipline for level of performance

      4. Potential as a role model

      5. Leadership ability and upward mobility

Software, Hardware, Security & Management Categories (Up to 4 Categories)

 

-         Individuals that work for an IT based company

 

-     Individuals that work in IT but the company is not IT based

 

This category was created to honor individuals that are exclusively involved with Information Technology.  The Information Technology distinction will be divided between professionals that work for IT companies and then those that work in the IT division of their organization that is not IT based.   HENAAC is looking to honor individuals in software, hardware, security and management.  Individuals need to have a minimum of 5 years experience in their specific IT field.

 

The Information Technology Distinction will be judged on the following criteria:

            1.  Expertise in specified IT area

            2.  Impact that the nominee’s work has had on the overall organization

            3.  Uniqueness of accomplishments

            4.  Outreach in the Hispanic Community

            5.  Potential as a role model

 

Environment, Buildings, Bridges & Highways, Transportation

(4 Categories)

 

This category was created to honor individuals that are exclusively involved with Civil Engineering and Infrastructure.  Individuals need to have a minimum of 5 years professional experience in their specific Civil Engineering/Infrastructure position.

 

 

The Civil Engineering/Infrastructure Distinction will be judged on the following criteria:

 

1. Expertise in specified Civil Engineering/Infrastructure area
2. Impact that the nominee’s work has had on the overall organization
3. Uniqueness of accomplishments
4. Outreach in the Hispanic Community
5. Potential as a role model

This is a professional engineer or scientist with eight years or less of experience since earning his/her undergraduate degree. The candidate’s early technical contributions should already indicate a promising career.

 

Most promising engineer or scientist graduate and undergraduate will be judged on the following criteria:

 

      1. Uniqueness and or innovation of contributions to organization

      2. Leadership abilities and/or initiative

      3. Professional and technical achievement to date

      4. Potential for advancement

      5. Involvement with the Hispanic community

This is a professional engineer or scientist with less eight years or less of experience since earning his/her last advanced degree. The candidate’s early technical accomplishments should strongly indicate a promising career.

 

Most promising engineer or scientist graduate and undergraduate will be judged on the following criteria:

      1. Uniqueness and or innovation of contributions to organization

      2. Leadership abilities and/or initiative

      3. Professional and technical achievement to date

      4. Potential for advancement

      5. Involvement with the Hispanic community

(4 Categories)

-         University

-         Community College 

-         High School

-         Middle School

 

HENAAC has four categories created to honor individuals involved in education across the United States. Professionals in Education will be divided into the four categories above and will compete within their respective group for top honors. For the second time HENAAC will be contributing a cash award to each education category to help further the nominees outreach and/or programs. 

 

The nominee may be an educator, administrator, or coordinator who has demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting engineering, science, math and technical education, programs or awareness.  Some examples of professionals eligible for this category include Teachers, MEP Officers, Administrators, Professors, and Viva Technology school leads. 

 

Education, university level and community college will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Success of instituted programs
2. How programs relate to needs of society & school
3. Mentoring of students to assist with retention and/or transferring
4. Involvement in outreach to the Hispanic Community and other minority communities
5. Effectiveness in generating interest in engineering and science

Education, high school and middle school will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Success of instituted programs
2. Promotion of engineering, science, math and other technology majors and careers
3. Extracurricular activities such as clubs, projects, field trips etc…that support science, engineering, math or technology success
4. Effectiveness in generating interest in engineering and science
5. Involvement in outreach to the Hispanic Community and other minority communities

This candidate must have demonstrated leadership in the minority engineering, science, and technology community through volunteer work, contributions and other activities that are not part of their current job description.   Nominees that are honored in this category usually have a long history of community service and go above and beyond in reaching young people, fellow professionals, seniors and other key groups not mentioned.

 

Community Service will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Potential as a role model
2. Promoting engineering, science or math within the Hispanic & minority communities
3. Time and energy invested in serving the community both within and outside their current organization.
4. Involvement with schools and universities
5. Colleague participation in outreach

The candidate must demonstrate that he or she has made a difference in an organization’s approach to Hispanic advancement in education, job promotion, business development and community activities.  The individual must be employed in the Diversity/Outreach/Human Resource division of their respective organization.

 

Diversity will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Effectiveness of implementing diversity goals and/or changes within organization
2. Promoting Hispanic awareness within organization
3. Outreach to the Hispanic community
4. Efforts to promote engineering, science, math or career development with impact on Hispanics and other minorities
5. Community outreach including schools, universities and non– profits

 

This person must own 50 percent or more of a thriving engineering or technology business with strong financial growth and more than ten employees.

 

Entrepreneurs will be judged on the following criteria:

      1. Insightfulness on growth sectors

      2. Innovativeness to design or re-design

      3. Leadership, managerial skills & earnings

      4. Impact benefits on the general community & Hispanic community

      5. Potential as a role model

To be considered for any one of the following special awards, the nominee must be ranked among the top 5 candidates in one of HENAAC's established categories. The Selection Committee will forward the nomination package to the Selection Committee Chair (SCC) for consideration in one of the four special award categories. These prestigious awards are not presented annually. They are only presented when the SCC has determined that a candidate's achievements merit this special recognition.

The Vanguard Award was established in 2007 to honor individuals who do not have a technical background however they are making huge progress in promoting STEM education and careers in their community, state and county.  A Vanguard Award recipient has the ability to convene large groups of stakeholders to change public policy on STEM.  They must also be willing to positively change current paradigms around STEM and the Hispanic Community.  The first recipient of the Vanguard Award in 2007 was Dr. J. Michael Ortiz, President of California State University Polytechnic University, Pomona.

The Chairman’s Award is presented to engineers, scientists, or educators who have used the highest standards of their profession to make exceptional contributions to their profession or to their community, thereby significantly advancing the positive image of science, mathematics, engineering professionals in our society. The Chairman’s Award honoree may or may not come from the pool of nominees (i.e. The debut of the movie, Stand and Deliver impacted educational excellence in math, thereby meeting HENAAC’s Mission. The Chairman’s Award was presented to math teacher Jaime Escalante, who was not a nominee).

 

Past winners of the Chairman’s Award include: physicist Albert V. Baez, Ph.D., internationally -known researcher, educator, and humanitarian; Jaime Oaxaca, UTEP alumnus, former Vice President, Northrop Corporation and President, Wilcox Electric, and Presidential appointee to the National Science Board; Michael Carroll, Ph.D., former Dean of the School of Engineering, Rice University; and the Hon. Carlos M. Ramirez, P.E., former mayor of the City of El Paso.

The Albert V. Baez Award was established in 1995 to honor engineers and scientists with outstanding technical achievements and service to humanity. A retired physicist, Albert V. Baez is noted for his pioneering research in X-ray optics. As an educator, he spearheaded curriculum reform in third world countries for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), As a humanitarian, he continues to help others improve their lives though Vivamos Mejor, USA.

Past winners of the award include: Ellen Ochoa, Ph.D., research physicist and NASA astronaut and the recipient of HENAAC’s 1989 Most Promising Engineer award; George Castro, Ph.D., physicist; and Raphael Bras, Ph.D., Department Head, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.