Leaders And Innovation In STEM Celebrated At DAPCEP Real McCoy Awards

DETROIT – The Real McCoy Awards, DAPCEP’s signature event presented by DTE Energy, took place Thursday, September 28. The much-anticipated annual awards were presented to individuals in traditional STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) industries as well as leaders in medicine and teaching.

A highlight of their year, DAPCEP students also received Jr. Real McCoy Awards for excellence.

The event serves to highlight DAPCEP programs where students explore STEM topics and build knowledge to succeed academically. The Real McCoy Awards also recognize the impact of ensuring that students from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in STEM have access to high quality academic experiences in their youth.

“Awardees represent success in STEM and embody the importance of introducing students to STEM at an early age,” says DAPCEP executive director Michelle Reaves. “Each year we are proud to lift them up as a means of underscoring the array of career and life experiences available to those with a STEM education.”

DTE Energy has sponsored and hosted the event for 11 years. Their partnership demonstrates the company’s commitment to building diverse local STEM talent pipelines. The evening’s emcee was Josh Landon of Fox 2 Detroit.

This year’s awardees were nominated by previous winners and reflect leadership and innovation in STEM:

· Barbara Carter, Complexity Reduction Engineer at General Motors, receives the Alumni Award

· Billy Joe Evans, Ph.D, receives The Arthur Haman Wondermaker Award

John Sampson, Senior V.P. of Operations (Manufacturing & Engineering) at Dow, receives the Science Award
Mack Hendricks, Executive Director of Detroit Black Tech, receives the Technology Award
Carlene Bills, President/CEO of Component Sales at Ford Motor Company, receives the Engineering Award
Rita Dandridge, Senior Director at Willis Towers Watson, receives the Math Award
Renita Barge Clark, M.D., receives the Medicine Award
Shelly Thomas, DAPCEP Teacher & K-8 Teacher with Southfield Public Schools District, receives the Teacher Award

The Jr. Real McCoy Awards were given out to students who demonstrated excellence in DAPCEP programs. These youngsters are hailed as the next generation of STEM leaders. Names of all awardees are available upon request.

About the Author: Mike Brennan

Founder of Michigan News Network, and serves as CEO, as well as Editor & Publisher of MITECHNEWS.COM. Brennan has worked since 1980 as a technology writer at newspapers in New York, NY, San Jose, CA., Seattle, WA., Memphis, TN., Detroit, MI., and London, England. He co-founded and served as managing editor of Pacific Rim News Service (SEATTLE), which developed a network of more than 100 freelance journalists in 17 Asia-Pacific countries.