AFRL Honorees to Accept Highly Competitive Conference Awards

  • Published
  • By Kimberly Gaither
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Air Force Research Laboratory honorees will be introduced by Maj. Gen. Thomas Masiello, AFRL commander, at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Dinner, in Washington, D.C., Feb. 7.

Recipients of these prestigious awards will travel to the nation's capitol to be recognized before nearly 3,000 guests, during the BEYA formal gala. 

Three of AFRL's finest will receive highly competitive Conference Awards.

Honoree packages were judged in 16 categories and by an executive evaluation committee of senior professionals from government, academia, and industry.   

Ms. Jacqueline Toussaint-Barker an electronics engineer, will be awarded the Career Achievement in Government Award and Dr. Onome Scott-Emuakpor, aerospace engineer, will receive the Most Promising Engineer Award.   Dr. Darnell Diggs a research physicist with the lab will accept the Community Service Emerald Honors Award.

"For me, it's the principle of seedtime and harvest.  It's about making an impactful contribution to society and reaping the harvest of what was planted," stated Diggs.

Additional BEYA Award Honorees include Dr. Eric L. Jones, materials engineer, to receive the Modern-Day Technology Leader Outstanding Achievement Award and Anissa Lumpkin, legislative liaison, the Science Spectrum Trailblazer Award.  Turhan K. Carroll, research physicist will accept the U.S. Black Engineer and Information Technology Outstanding Achievement Award.  Dr. Reginald L. Cooper, research electronics engineer, will be awarded Modern Day Technology Leader.

The Black Engineer of the Year Awards highlights top performers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.  Each of the award recipients places a great emphasis on community service in his or her own way. 

"Serving is not only my duty, but my calling," Diggs said.

He feels anybody can serve, using his or her talents and abilities for the good of humanity.  Diggs would like more people to be reminded of a noted question from Dr. Martin Luther King, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: what you are doing for others?"