B4 The Afro-American March 30, 2024 - April 5, 2024
ASME Foundation celebrates excellence in higher education and engineering By Patricia McDougall
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Morgan State University President David Wilson, Ed.D, speaks to the crowd.
Dr. Norma Denise Mitchem, CEO of the think tank, Social Currency, shares a moment with Nancy Conrad, founder and chairwoman of the Conrad Foundation.
he ASME Foundation’s second annual gathering in Washington D.C. on March 21 was a celebration of progress toward equity in engineering. The ASME Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Dr. Oscar Barton Jr. was honored with the 2024 Edwin F. Church Medal for his outstanding contributions to mechanical engineering education and his advocacy for diversity in engineering. The event aimed to support the ASME Foundation’s initiatives in engineering education, early-career resources and sustainable innovations by engaging a diverse range of individuals. The foundation also launched the Dr. Oscar Barton Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will help broaden participation in engineering for underrepresented communities, particularly male students entering a fouryear engineering program from a community college. The ASME Foundation believes that by supporting the next generation of engineers, we can make the world a better place.
Dr. Sonya Smith, chair of the ASME Foundation Board, attends the event with Dr. Oscar Barton Jr., dean of Morgan State University’s Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering, and 2024 Edwin F. Church Medal recipient.
All photos by Patricia McDougall
Shown here, Keith Miles, director of major gifts for the ASME Foundation, with Stephanie Viola, managing director of philanthropy for ASME and executive director of the ASME Foundation, the Department of Defense’s Dr. Aprille J. Ericsson, first assistant secretary of defense for science and technology, and Tom Costabile, executive director and CEO of ASME.
Dr. Greg Washington, president of George Mason University, shown here with Dr. Aaron Adams, professor of mechanical engineering at Alabama A&M, Dr. Oscar Barton Jr. and David Wilson, Ed.D.
Dr. Hans Jurgen Hoyer, resident scholar in global engineering at George Mason University and Dr. Gregory Washington, president of George Mason University.
Dr. John M.M. Anderson, dean of Howard University’s College of Engineering and Architecture, with Dr. Dawit Haile, dean of the college of Engineering and Technology at Virginia State University.
Michele Norris, Washington Post columnist and author of “Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race,” helps celebrate the work of Tom Costabile, executive director and CEO of ASME, with the Rev. Dr. the ASME Foundation and special Kendrick E. Curry, pastor of Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church and guests. his wife, Karen Curry.
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