Ross Wilkers
Stephanie C. Hill, vice president and general manager of the civil business within Lockheed Martin‘s Information Systems and Global Solutions line, has been selected to receive the 2014 Black Engineer of the Year award from the Career Communications Group.
The group recognized Hill for her 27-year career in engineering and leadership roles at Lockheed Martin and her commitment to promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
She received the award Saturday at the Black Engineer of the Year Award STEM Conference in Washington.
Hill, a 27-year company veteran, told ExecutiveBiz this award recognizes a career trajectory she did not expect to pursue, referring to herself as an “accidental engineer.”
“Even when I started in college I thought I was going to be an accountant,” she said.
“I just happened to take a course and absolutely fell in love with software engineering.”
During her speech to accept the award, Hill encouraged the audience to share stories that illustrate how exciting, rewarding and fun STEM careers can be in hopes of inspiring students to take that path.
“We can’t afford to have any more accidental engineers,” Hill said. “We must capture the imaginations of the future scientists, engineers and innovators who will change the world – especially those who are not yet interested in and/or doubt that a STEM career is possible for them.â€
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Hill started at the company as a software engineer in 1987 and in her current role leads 10,000 personnel across fields such as cybersecurity, finance, healthcare and space exploration.
“Stephanie has established herself as a leader who consistently drives strong technical and business performance on behalf of her customers while strengthening and developing the next generation of leaders,†said Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Hill is an honors graduate from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and serves on the boards of TechAmerica Public Sector and RTCA NextGen Advisory Committee, which works with the Federal Aviation Administration.
At the STEM Conference, 32 Lockheed employees were also recognized as “Modern Day Leaders” and seven were awarded the “Science Spectrum Trailblazer” distinction.
Three Lockheed Martin employees were deemed “Special BEYA awardees,” such as:
- Aaron Brundage: Most Promising Scientist – Government
- Gilda Jackson: Special Recognition Award
- Marsha Malone: Technical Sales and Marketing Award
