REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Feb. 23, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Jananda I. Hill, a software engineer with Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Space Technology sector, has received the Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) in the category of Most Promising Engineer of the Year.
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The award was presented to Hill Saturday, Feb. 21, at the 18th annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference in Baltimore. Hill, 30, is the seventh Northrop Grumman Space Technology employee to win a BEYA award.
She is a senior member of the Ground Systems technical staff in Space Technology's Production and Supply Chain organization. Hill is responsible for developing software for equipment used to conduct manufacturing tests on flight circuit boards found in spacecraft such as the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
"Jananda has made numerous contributions since she joined Northrop Grumman by taking a software leadership role in her area," said Sonya Sepahban, Space Technology vice president and deputy, Technology Development, who presented the award to Hill. "She exemplifies qualities that are the hallmarks of Northrop Grumman employees -- creativity, a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence."
The BEYA awards are presented annually to recognize and honor the technical and professional achievements of African-American men and women involved in engineering, science and technology fields. An industry-wide committee chooses recipients from a competitive field of candidates selected for their academic credentials, career achievements and community outreach efforts.
"To put it shortly, this is my dream job," Hill said. "It is exciting to work for a global aerospace company that produces state-of-the-art technologies for the most advanced science and defense spacecraft. What makes this an unparalleled work environment for me is that Northrop Grumman has a strong commitment to professional development, work/life balance, and diversity."
Hill joined Northrop Grumman Space Technology in January 2003 after receiving a master's degree in Computer Science in 2002 from Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. Prior to that, she held several engineering positions at Lucent Technologies in North Andover, Mass., from 1997 to 2001. At Lucent, she was responsible for embedded software development and integration and for high-bandwidth optical networking systems.
Hill joined Lucent Technologies after earning a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering in 1996 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., which she attended with a full scholarship from the former AT&T Bell Labs. She was an intern for four summers at Bell Labs, which later became part of Lucent.
In addition to her engineering responsibilities at Northrop Grumman, Hill is an active community volunteer as a PSAT/SAT and Algebra II/Trigonometry instructor for EXCELL, an enrichment program organized by the L.A. Council of Black Professional Engineers. This 14-week program promotes interest in science, math and engineering for students in grades two through 12 each school semester.
Northrop Grumman aspires to be the employer of choice by creating a workplace that emphasizes inclusion. The company is committed to establishing a work environment where all employees feel welcome, challenged and rewarded for their contributions to its success.
Northrop Grumman Space Technology develops a broad range of systems at the leading edge of space, defense and electronics technology. The sector creates products for U.S. government and commercial customers that contribute significantly to the nation's security and leadership in science and technology.
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