It Wasn’t A Dream, It Was BEYA!
Posted by mjr3715 on March 1, 2009
23 Years of the BEYA Awards
The robotics playing field.
America’s top students and professionals from the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields converged on Baltimore to participate in a conference unlike any other in the world: The 2009 BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference. The conference, in its 23rd year, was an unforgettable three-day event packed with an endless array of activities-a STEM career expo, endless informative workshops and seminars, the 2009 Middle School VEX Robotics Championships, an enriching K-12 program, the 4th Stars & Stripes Dinner, and the 23rd BEYA Gala.
Friday, Friday, February 20, 2009, GEN William Casey, Chief of Staff of the US Army provided the keynote to a room packed with the nation’s top brass from all branches of the military. As the honorees were recognized, military leadership, both past and present, provided a mixture of humor and inspiration to everyone.
Earlier Friday, the several teams of students waged war on one another during the 1st BEYA VEX Middle School Robotics Championships. The Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy, located in Baltimore, took home the top prize and will advance to the next competition. (picture above)
Guy Bluford (left) and Dr. Lydia Thomas (right) present Dr. Wanda Austin (center) with the 23rd Black Engineer of the Year Award.
Saturday, February 21, 2009, Dr. Wanda Austin accepted the 23rd Black Engineer of the Year Award and joined the ranks of the most accomplished list of African-American technologists in the world. Emceed by Lammon Rucker, the evening was filled with stories of perseverance, struggle, and success, and the acceptance speeches brought roaring laughter and some tears. The 2009 top BEYA winner, Dr. Wanda Austin, proudly stood before the world’s leaders from academia, industry, military and the Federal government in the packed ballroom of the Baltimore Hilton Convention Center Hotel to proudly accept her award. Two former BEYA winners, Guy Bluford and Lydia Thomas presented Dr. Austin with her award. (Pictured from left to right: Guy Bluford, Dr. Wanda Austin, Lydia Thomas)
The 23rd BEYA Gala was the concluding event of a three-day conference offering seminars and workshops on a plethora of topics affecting African-American technologists and providing a forum for networking and celebration. A destination event for students and professionals from around globe since 1986, this year’s conference saw a record attendance, especially at the 2009 Stars & Stripes Dinner.
The BEYA Awards Awaiting Retrieval
It was a moving experience for everyone involved and several have written about their awesome experience. Take a moment to read some of the feedback from other attendees:
http://bossip.com/84982/the-hard-knocks-of-recession-are-banging-on-the-doors-of-black-colleges/
http://www.the-savvy-sista.com/2009/02/black-engineer-of-year-awards.html
http://blog.oar.uiuc.edu/?p=2202
Also, take a moment to check out the pictures from the entire three-day event.
http://www.glenwoodjacksonphotography.com/BEYA2009.html
