FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The prestigious SHPE Technical Achievement and Recognition (STAR) Awards recognize those in STEM who are changing lives through their community outreach, work, and research. The honorees were selected by a diverse review committee based on individual guidelines for each award, as well as those they felt represented the very best in STEM and the embodiment of SHPE’s mission and vision.
Company of the Year
Bank of America
(pictured above)
Academic Institution of the Year
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Hispanic Employee Resource Group of the Year
Chevron Corporation
Rodrigo Garcia Founder’s Award
Julio Grapa
P&G
Jaime Oaxaca Award
Antonina Robles
HP Inc.
Dr. Ellen Ochoa Award
Brenda Isaza
The Boeing Company
Rubén Hinojosa STEM Champion Award
Antonio Tijerino
Hispanic Heritage Foundation
Rubén Hinojosa STEM Champion Award
Ray Mellado (1948-2022)
Great Minds in STEM
Climate Sustainability Award
Dr. Miguel O. Román
Leidos
Community Service Award
Saul Montano
RTX
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award
Angela M. Rucks
Bank of America
Educator Achievement Award – Higher Education
Juan D. Ocampo
St. Mary’s University
Entrepreneur Award
Dr. Isaac Rodriguez
SweetBio, Inc.
Executive Achievement Award – Corporate
Dr. Sandra Hernández
Chevron Corporation
Executive Achievement Award – Government
Ivan Pereira
Naval Surface Warfare Center
Innovator Award
Marc Velasco
IBM
Managerial Excellence Award – Corporate
Alonso Navarrete
Cummins Inc.
Managerial Excellence Award – Government
Briana Marie Pierce
United States Air Force
Role Model Award – Graduate
Carolina A. Colón
Georgia Institute of Technology
Role Model Award – Professional
Benjamin Gonzalez Vazquez
Bechtel Global Corporation
Role Model Award – Undergraduate
Leah Flores-Cabrera
Michigan State University
STAR of Today Award – Corporate
Krystal Puga
Northrop Grumman Corporation
STAR of Today Award – Government
Anthony Louis Garcia
Sandia National Laboratories
STAR of Tomorrow Award – Corporate
Ernesto E Covarrubias
The Boeing Company
STAR of Tomorrow Award – Government
Iker Liceaga-Indart
NASA
STEM Warrior Award
Paola Estrada
United States Air Force
Young Investigator Award
Joaquin Resasco
The University of Texas at Austin
The STAR Award honorees will be recognized during the SHPE National Convention being held in Salt Lake City, Utah on November 1-5. They will be presented during two different ceremonies: the Excellence in STEM Luncheon on Thursday from 12:00-1:30pm and the STAR Awards Ceremony on Friday from 7:00-9:00pm.
SHPE: Leading Hispanics in STEM, a national organization representing Hispanic professionals and students in STEM, will host its 47th National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Salt Palace Convention Center, November 1 through 5, 2023. The largest gathering of Hispanic STEM talent in the nation, the event is expected to be attended by 10,000 students, professionals, academia, and industry leaders.
About SHPE:
SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) is a nonprofit organization serving and advancing Hispanics in STEM. With more than 14,000 student and professional members, SHPE’s mission is to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development. For more information please visit https://www.shpe.org/.