HENAAC Awards Nominations

HENAAC Awards Nominations
For over a quarter century, Great Minds in STEM™ (GMiS) has highlighted the nation’s best and brightest Hispanic engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and technology experts. Through the HENAAC nomination process,
GMiS is able to honor and showcase these role models to inspire young people to pursue careers in technology,
and to motivate professionals to continuously connect with the Hispanic community. By nominating individuals
from your organization, you support GMiS in providing a pathway and vision for the next generation, of what it
means to be a successful STEM professional.
Why nominate your colleagues & Employees?
Identify “Rising Stars” in STEM fields
Retain and showcase your organization’s
top talent
Promote your organization’s diversity
efforts
Motivate the next generation of STEM
professionals
Nominees can be featured Role Models
of the Week on the GMiS website
Nominees will receive a Certificate of
recognition from GMiS
How to submit a nomination:
STEP 1 :
Read the Award Category descriptions to determine
which one is best suited for your candidate.
STEP 2 :
Review the Awards Nomination Checklist to ensure
you gather all submission requirements.
STEP 3 :
Create a login account and then fill out your application and upload your documents to submit the online
nomination. This is a paperless process done through
the GMiS website.
http://www.greatmindsinstem.org/professionals/nominator
CONTACT
Any questions, please contact Monica Villafaña,
Director of Professional Programs at [email protected].
2015
HENAAC Awards
“As we celebrate the accomplishments of Hispanics in STEM my hope is that
we inspire our daughters and sons to pursue STEM-related degrees. I hope
that some will find careers with the Navy, building the most technically
advanced military ships and ship systems in the world that help preserve
the freedoms we enjoy every day.”
Gloria L. Valdez, SES, U.S. Navy, 2014 HENAAC Pioneer Award Recipient
Executive Excellence
Candidates must be upper-level executives, with large department and budget responsibilities. Individuals
should have twenty (20) plus years of experience. The Executive Excellence award is divided into two categories to balance the playing field between organizations with revenues over and under $20 billion. Nominees
from the military and government are classified by their organization’s total annual budget.
Criteria:
Uniqueness of individual’s obtained goal
Level of responsibilities
Degree of discipline for level of performance
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Candidates nominated for this category must have
made a significant technological contribution to
STEM through key research or having designed,
developed, managed or assisted in the development of a product, service, system or intellectual
property.
Criteria:
Uniqueness of individual’s research
Degree of research’s societal impact
Patents or published works
Serving as a STEM role-model and involvement
with the Hispanic community nationally and/or
internationally
Achievements while in this position
Serving as a STEM role-model and involvement
with the Hispanic community nationally and/or
internationally
Lifetime Achievement
This category was created to honor individuals who
are not executives and have given thirty (30) or more
years of exemplary service and commitment to STEM.
Criteria:
Total combined years of employment in STEM
Career highlights including top projects, programs,
patents and inventions that the candidate has led
and/or been a key contributor
Past and current mentoring of fellow professionals
Ability to be an ambassador for their current employer
Serving as a STEM role-model and involvement
with the Hispanic community nationally and/or
internationally
“Building strong programs like Viva Technology, and the DREAM Program
ensures inquiry based, hands-on learning that inspires and prepares students to dream the big dreams – not because they are easy, but because
they ARE hard. So let’s roll up our sleeves together, to make those dreams a
reality and ‘Go for Launch’ of the next generation of great minds for STEM.”
Juan A. “Tony” Castilleja, Jr., The Boeing Company, 2014 HENAAC Community Service
Award Winner
Professional Achievement – Level I and Level II
Candidates in this category must be well-established managers or have project responsibility in a technical field
with significant contributions in that arena. Nominees in this category are divided into two groups: Level I –
10 to 19 years of experience, and Level II - 20 to 29 years of experience.
Criteria:
Uniqueness of individual’s obtained goal
Level of responsibilities
Degree of discipline for level of performance
Leadership ability and upward mobility
Civil Engineering/Environmental
Distinction
This category was created to honor individuals
exclusively involved with civil and/or environmental
engineering. Candidates must possess a minimum of
five (5) years professional experience in a civil engineering/environmental engineering position.
Criteria:
Expertise in specified civil engineering/environmental engineering area
Impact of the nominee’s work on the overall
organization
Uniqueness of accomplishments
Serving as a STEM role model and involvement
with the Hispanic community nationally and/or
internationally
Serving as a STEM role-model and involvement
with the Hispanic community nationally and/or
internationally
Information Technology Distinction
Candidates in this category should be exclusively
involved with information technology – Software,
Hardware, Security and Management. The Information Technology Distinction will be divided between
professionals who work for IT companies and those
who work in the IT division of their organization that
is not IT-based. Individuals must possess a minimum
of five (5) years experience in their specific IT field.
Criteria:
Expertise in specified IT area
Impact of the nominee’s work on the overall
organization
Uniqueness of accomplishments
Serving as a STEM role-model and involvement
with the Hispanic community nationally and/or
internationally
“I was inspired from a very young age by the resilience of my family during
their flight from Cuba to the United States. In the research world, it is this
resilience that allows us to keep trying even in the face of adversity and
allows for the ability to learn from our failures. Lastly, it is this resilience
that brings us hope that our own quest for greatness will result in something wonderful.”
Stephanie Martin, Ph.D., Kimberly-Clark Corporation, 2014 Professional Achievement I Award
Winner
Most Promising Engineer or Scientist - Graduate Degree
Candidates in this category must be engineers or scientists with no more than nine (9) years work experience
since earning a completed masters or doctoral degree in a STEM field. The candidates’ technical contributions should already demonstrate a promising career. Individuals currently enrolled in a masters or doctoral
program do not qualify for this category. Candidates must have already graduated with a masters or doctoral
degree by June 20, 2014.
Criteria:
Uniqueness and or innovation of contributions
to organization
Leadership abilities and/or initiative
Professional and technical achievement to date
Most Promising Engineer or
Scientist - Undergraduate DEGREE
Candidates in this category must be engineers or
scientists with no more than nine (9) years work
experience and no higher than a bachelors degree
completed. The candidates’ early technical contributions through the bachelor’s degree should
already demonstrate a promising career.
Criteria:
Uniqueness and/or innovation of contributions
to organization
Leadership abilities and/or initiative
Uniqueness of accomplishments
Professional and technical achievement to date
Potential for advancement
Serving as a STEM role-model and involvement
with the Hispanic community nationally and/or
internationally
Potential for advancement
Serving as a STEM role-model and involvement
with the Hispanic community nationally and/or
internationally
Education
This award was created to honor individuals involved
in higher education across the United States.
Nominees may be educators, administrators, or
coordinators who demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting STEM education program awareness. Some examples of professionals eligible for this
category include university deans, professors and
MEP administrators. For elementary, middle and high
school teachers and administrators, please contact
Lupe Muñoz-Alvarado, Director of Education Programs, at [email protected].
Criteria:
Success of instituted programs
How programs relate to needs of society and school
Mentoring of students to assist with retention and/
or graduation
Involvement in outreach to the Hispanic community
and other underserved communities
Effectiveness in recruitment of Hispanic students in
STEM
Eduardo Divo, Ph.D.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2014 Education Award
Amri Hernandez-Pellerano
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
2014 Professional Achievement II
Armando Arismendi
IBM
2014 Chairman’s Award
Silvia Osuna
Northrop Grumman Corporation
2014 Most Promising Engineer –
Undergraduate Degree
Community Service
Nominees who are honored in this category usually have a long history of community service and go above
and beyond in reaching young people, fellow professionals, and other key demographics. Candidates must
demonstrate leadership within the underserved and underrepresented STEM community through volunteer
work, contributions and other activities that are NOT part of their current job description.
Criteria:
Promoting STEM within the Hispanic and underserved communities
Time and energy invested in serving the community
both within and outside their current organization
Santiago Rodriguez Diversity Award
Candidates in this category must demonstrate that
they have made a difference in an organization’s
engagement approach to Hispanic advancement in
education, job promotion, business development
and the community. Individuals MUST BE employed in the Diversity/Corporate Responsibility/
Human Resource division of their respective organization. Nominees for this category do not have
to be Hispanic; however the work product of their
efforts must have advanced and enhanced Hispanic
workforce development within the organization
and/or the Hispanic community.
Criteria:
Effectiveness of implementing diversity goals
and/or changes within the organization
Promoting Hispanic awareness within the
organization
Outreach to the Hispanic community
Efforts to promote STEM career development
with impact on Hispanics and other underserved
communities
Community outreach including schools, universities and non–profits
Involvement with schools, universities, and organizations
Serving as a STEM role-model and involvement with the
Hispanic community nationally and/or internationally
Entrepreneur
Candidates in this category must own at least 50% of a
thriving small or medium size STEM business (i.e. between 10 and 500 employees) that demonstrates strong
financial growth. The entrepreneur must be of Hispanic
descent.
Criteria:
Growth in corporate success
Level of innovation
Customer impact and service
Community impact
Serving as a STEM role-model and involvement with
the Hispanic community nationally and/or internationally
Special Awards / Engineer & Scientist of the Year
For information on HENAAC Special Award categories
including: HENAAC Engineer of the Year and/or Scientist
of the Year, Chairman’s Award, Albert V. Baez Award,
Pioneer Award and the Vanguard Award, please visit our
website: www.greatmindsinstem.org
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do you need to be an engineer or SCIENTIST to be nominated for a HENAAC
Award?
Individuals who are not technical professionals can compete in the categories of Diversity, Community Service
and Education. The individual must work to recruit, train, mentor, counsel or promote careers in STEM. Other
HENAAC Award catergories are only open to scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, technologists,
and engineers.
2. Do you need to be Hispanic to be nominated for a HENAAC Award?
No. There are five award categories where non-Hispanics may be honored. The categories are: Chairman’s
Award (awarded at the discretion of the Great Minds in STEM™ Chair), Education, Diversity, Community Service
and the Vanguard Award. A non-Hispanic must perform work or outreach activities that strongly impact the
Hispanic community’s participation in STEM.
3. Do you need a STEM bachelor’s degree to win a HENAAC Award?
In most cases, a person needs a bachelor’s degree in a STEM-based major to be eligible for awards other than
those listed in Question #2. However, for military and law enforcement candidates, on-the-job training and
experience will be considered in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
4. How are the Engineer of the Year and/or Scientist of the Year selected?
You may not nominate an individual for the Engineer or Scientist of the Year. These individuals are selected
from among the top candidates submitted in all professional categories. These honorees can be leaders working in any area of the STEM Enterprise. The Selection Committee seeks individuals, who model the technical
excellence and leadership that significantly impact an industry, a field of science and/or engineering, academia,
the Hispanic community, and our nation.
5. How is the 2015 nomination submission process different from previous
years?
The process will be the same as in 2014. The nomination deadline is May 29, 2015. You will be able to upload your
nomination on-line. To find out more information, please visit our website www.greatmindsinstem.org or contact
Monica Villafaña, Director of Professional Programs, at [email protected].
6. What are the components of a complete nomination package?
The components of a nomination package include: A. Online Nomination Form; B. Nominator Statement (see
question 7); C. Resume; D. Full Job Description; E. Organizational Chart; F. Biography (see question 9); G. Recommendation Letters (see question 8); H. Color Photograph that is at least 600 dpi or higher; I. Synopsis of Key
Research (for technical award categories only); and, J. Articles about the Nominee (if applicable).
7. What is the nominator statement?
Nominators must submit a statement which is a brief description, in 1,000 words or less, of why the individual
they are nominating is deserving of the HENAAC award. The focus of this statement should be based on the
criteria of the award category for which the individual is being nominated.
8. How many letters of recommendation should be included?
There should be a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) letters of recommendation dated in 2015.
The letters can be written by a supervisor, co-worker or someone who has experienced the value of the
nominees contribution in their specific STEM field. Each letter should be unique and not a repeated form letter.
Any additional letters received after the 5th letter will not be included in the nomination packet for review.
9. What is an acceptable length for the biography?
The biography should be no more than 2-3 pages and should be a personal history including information the
nominee is comfortable in disclosing publicly. The biography is an opportunity to share significant early-life
experiences and motivating factors leading to their success. Nominees can share information about their
background, struggles and achievements, awards or commendations, family history, special projects, unique
hobbies, or other important life events. The biography should include information not discussed in the letters
of recommendation.
10. Will you accept entire thesises, papers, research, books, and video clips?
It is not necessary to include documents in their entirety. If the candidate has written a thesis, a book, or
paper, do not include these documents. With a limited amount of time to review each nomination packet,
reviewers will not have the time to read such documents in depth. However, it is imperative to inform the committee of these accomplishments either in a brief summary or list. The only category that should submit more
detailed research information is Outstanding Technical Achievement. Video Clips: Please do not submit any
multimedia clips. The committee will not have time to review video clips during the selection process. However, if the nominee is selected for an award, Great Minds in STEM™ will ask the organization for video clips that
may be used in the award presentation.
11. May I resubmit a 2014 nomination packet?
Yes. However, Great Minds in STEM™ requires new letters of recommendation with a current 2015 date. Old
letters of recommendation have a tough time competing against current letters of recommendation from other
candidates.
12. May candidates be nominated in more than one category?
Yes. However, we do not recommend nominating a candidate for more than two categories in a given year. On
the online nomination form please list under category the two categories where you would like the nominee to
be considered. For example: Category: Professional Achievement Level I & Civil Engineering Distinction
You do not need to submit two seperate packets. Great Minds in STEM™ will prepare the packets to be reviewed by the respective selection committees.
13. Is attendance at the HENAAC conference and Awards Show mandatory to win?
Yes. All winners must be able to attend the HENAAC Conference and Awards Show from October 14-18, 2015, in
Pasadena,CA. If a winner is unable to attend, the next highest ranked candidate in that category will be declared
the winner. Typically the only exceptions to this rule are for service men and women who are on active duty,
maternity leave or an extreme family emergency. In these cases, a leader from the organization or family
member may accept on the winner’s behalf.
14. Does my company have to be a sponsor of the HENAAC Conference in order for
me to apply and win an award?
No. The nomination and peer-review selection process is independent of conference sponsorship. Great Minds
in STEM™ has had many winners from companies and organizations that are not conference sponsors.
15. When and how will candidates be notified if they are selected for an award?
All winners and the individuals who nominated them will be notified via telephone and email by the first week
of August 2015. A formal letter of notification with details about the conference, awards show, rehearsals, etc.
will be mailed and sent by email the second week of August 2015. A press release announcing the winners
will be posted on the Great Minds in STEM™ website by the second week of August 2015. The nominators of
individuals who did not win will receive letters indicating that their candidates were not selected for an award
by the end of August 2015.
16. Who makes up the Selection Committee?
The Section Committee is composed of various Great Minds in STEM™ stakeholders, who have expertise in
their given discipline. These committee members are divided into sub committees to evaluate the nominations. For example, individuals with doctoral and master degrees in technology serve on the Outstanding
Technical Achievement Committee. These committees report to the Selection Committee Chair(s), who will
make the final award selections. The Chair(s) of the committee is the Dean(s) of engineering or science of the
Conference Academic Host(s).
17. Do you have to be a U.S. Citizen to be nominated?
No. You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to be nominated.
18. What if I still have more questions?
If you have additional questions, please contact Monica Villafaña, Director of Professional Programs, at (323)
262-0997 or via email to [email protected]
HENAAC Awards Nomination Checklist
A. Online Nomination Form
This online nomination form must be complete as you prepare to submit a nominee. The form requires complete contact information for the nominator as well as contact, educational and professional background information on the nominee.
B. Nominator Statement
In 1,000 words or less, in 11-pt or 12-pt size font, the nominator should provide a brief description of why the
individual being nominated is deserving of the HENAAC award. Please focus on the criteria of the award category.
C. Resume/Curriculum Vitae
This should be a summary of the nominee’s educational background and relevant job experience.
D. Full Job Description
The job description should explain current job duties and responsibilities.
E. Organizational Chart
The organizational chart should demonstrate where the nominee fits within his/her own department and
entire organization.
F. Biography
The biography should be a personal history sharing information the nominee is comfortable disclosing publicly.
Information for the biography can include the nominee’s background, struggles and achievements, awards or
commendations, unique hobbies, family history, etc.
G. Recommendation Letters
There should be a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) current letters of recommendation. The
letters can be written by a supervisor, co-worker or someone who has experienced the value of the person’s
contribution in their specific STEM field. Each letter should be unique and not a form letter with a new name.
Any additional letters received after the fifth letter will not be included in the nomination packet for review.
H. Photograph
The color photograph should be in 600 DPI resolution and submitted in JPEG format. This photo may be used
in TECHNiCA™ Magazine, the HENAAC Conference Journal and/or on the Great Minds in STEM™ website.
I. Synopsis of Key Research
This document is required for the technical award categories only. It should include summaries or lists of any
research the nominee is involved in as well as patents received or pending.
J. Articles About the Nominee (if applicable)
Not a required submission, but recent articles written about the nominee may be submitted for review by the
Selection Committee.