Call it an evening of stars. More than 150 students, parents, corporate sponsors, and program institutions were on hand at the 38th Annual Awards Banquet for the Atlanta University Center Dual Degree Engineering Program, Saturday, April 11, at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot. Held to recognize outstanding dual-degree engineering students from Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College.
“The awards banquet offers a great opportunity for us to showcase all the involved participants – students, partnering and member institutions, as well as the corporations who sponsor and hire our students,” said Sherry Turner, Ph.D., executive director for the Atlanta University Center Consortium Inc. “As the nation’s largest consortium of historically black institutions, we are a major feeder for minority students who enter engineering schools. Through this unparalleled partnership, our students have the benefit of receiving two degrees – one from the home institution and one from the engineering institution – in approximately five years.”
AUCC awarded the following students with various accolades:
- Melvin Hill, Morehouse, Most Outstanding Civil Engineering Student
- Aisha Jackson, Spelman, Most Outstanding Computer Engineering Student
- Obey-Justice Chiguta, Morehouse, Most Outstanding First Year Engineering Student
- Austin Little, Morehouse, Most Outstanding Second Year Engineering Student
- Kiara Moore, Spelman, and Hamim Nigera, Morehouse, Most Outstanding Third Year Engineering Student
- Christopher Cumberbatch, Morehouse/University of Notre Dame, and Melody Thomas, CAU/IUPUI), Most Outstanding New Transfer Student
Students of the Year
The Most Outstanding AUCC Dual Degree Engineering Student of the Year goes to students who are extraordinary examples while matriculating through the program. This year there were three outstanding students, one from each of the schools: Janetta Brown from Spelman, Vernon Gentry from CAU, and Anjolaoluwa Lanre-Ladenegan from Morehouse.
Brown, a mathematics major who graduated from Spelman in 2012, is currently attending North Carolina A&T State University. Academically excelling both at Spelman and North Carolina A&T, she served as a Boeing Co. intern four years and as vice president for the Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Always a good student, Vernon Gentry, really found his stride while at Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a co-op engineer for Delta Air Lines, an intern for Chevron and IBG Construction Services, and River to Tap Inc.
A true leader, Anjolaoluwa Lanre-Ladenegan has served as vice president for the AUC chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and president of the AUC African Student Association. As a Cummins Inc. intern for the past three years, he has excelled, even being featured on the company’s website. Currently in the engineering program at the University of Notre Dame, Anjolaoluwa Lanre-Ladenegan serves as president of the Notre Dame chapter of NSBE.
Something for Everyone
Other AUCC awards included Rakiya Winton, CAU, and Perry Francois-Edwards, Morehouse, receiving the Most Outstanding Engineering Graphics Award.
In addition, several corporate and private donors were on hand to present awards. James Honore, CAU, and Jamila Moses, Spelman, were presented with the Colgate-Palmolive Technology for Life Recognition. This award recognizes students who demonstrate academic success and leadership potential. Khreem Coles, Morehouse, and Anthony Body, Morehouse, received the Mary Smalley Cummins Centers of Excellence award, which recognizes academic success, leadership and community involvement. Robert Cummings, Morehouse, and Jamila Moses, Spelman College, were named ExxonMobil Achievement award recipients. Kayla Dean, Spelman, was presented with the ExxonMobil Most Outstanding Second Year Chemical Engineering Student. Perry Francois-Edwards, Morehouse, was presented with the ExxonMobil Most Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Student. Jordan Howie, Morehouse, received the Boeing Company Most Outstanding Aerospace Engineering Student. Jean Yves Ishimwe, Morehouse, was named the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Most Outstanding Electrical Engineering Student.
Michael Alemeyheu, Morehouse/Georgia Tech, Tyler Clark, Spelman/Georgia Tech, and Rachel Davis, CAU/North Carolina A&T, were recognized as Boeing Company Scholars. Xerox Corporation Scholars included the following students:
- India Banks, Spelman
- Alsidneio Bell, Morehouse
- Tyler Clark, Spelman/Georgia Tech
- Brienne Coates, Spelman/Georgia Tech
- Kayla Dean, Spelman
- Sanura Dewa, Spelman
- Precious Gibson, Spelman
- Christian Griffith, Morehouse
- Jules Henry, CAU
- Hobson Ron, Morehouse/University of Michigan
- Tareya Hood, CAU
- Andrea Ibeanusi, Spelman/North Carolina A&T
- Aisha Jackson, Spelman
- Jacob Lawrence, Morehouse
For CAU students, there is The Terry and Sandra Lee Scholarship recognition, which was presented to Frank Lee. Julian Pilate-Hutcherson, Morehouse, and Mykala Jones, CAU, received the Jackson-Davis Civil Engineering Incentive scholarships.
“We have 322 students enrolled in DDEP, 87 of which have a 3.0 or higher GPA, and this banquet allows an occasion to honor and recognize our best and brightest is what this day is all about,” said Denise Holmes, director for the Office of Academic and Career Services for AUCC. “Our students had the opportunity to participate in an intimate networking event with some our successful alumni and representatives from some of the world’s top organizations who hire engineers, and represents the culmination of what we work toward during the whole year.”
If you are interested in partnering or sponsoring with the Dual Degree Engineering Program to increase minority participation in engineering programs, contact us at 404-523-5148.
