2020 HENAAC Award Winners
Jesse A. Ortega
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/jesse-ortega.jpg)
Engineer of the Year
Architectural
Chief Engineer
General Motors
Alfonso Fernandez Davila, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alfonso-fernandez.jpg)
Scientist of the Year
Research Scientist,
Exobiology Branch
NASA Ames Research Center
CAPT Mercedes Benitez McCrary,
Dr HS, MS- CCC-SLP
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/captnmercedez.jpg)
Albert V. Baez Award
Captain, United States Public Health Service,
Commissioned Corps 13th Chief Professional Officer
( 2016- MAR 2020) Therapy Rehabilitation
U.S. Public Health Service
Fred Whipple
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Fred-Whipple.jpg)
Chairman’s Award
Vice President, Employee
Relations/Diversity and
Inclusion of Human Resources
Shell Oil Company
Eliezer Maldonado
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/eliezer-maldonado.jpg)
Executive Excellence – Industry
Senior Global Business
Director, Functional Polymers
Packaging and Specialty Plastics
Dow, Inc.
John D. Moreno
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/john-moreno.jpg)
Executive Excellence – Military
Regional Business Director
South Pacific Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Armando L.
Castorena, SPHR, CCP
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/armando-castenora.jpg)
Santiago Rodriguez Diversity and Inclusion Award
Vice President of
Human Resources
Lockheed Martin Space
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Hector J. Santos-Villalobos, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/hector-sv.jpg)
Outstanding Technical Achievement – National Laboratory
Group Leader, Biometrics and Identity Research Group Cyber and Applied Data Analytics Division of the National Security Sciences Directorate
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Luis A. Verde Chifflet, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/luis-verde.jpg)
Outstanding Technical Achievement – Industry
Research Director, Latin American R&D Commercial Zone Lead
Corteva Agriscience
Marco Gardner
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/marco-gardner.jpg)
Professional Achievement II- Industry
Analog Signal Chain Linear
Amplifiers Precision Amplifiers
Product Line Manage
Texas Instruments
Miguel Rivera
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/miguel-rivera.jpg)
Professional Achievement II – Military
Director, Integrated Air and Missile Defense Technical Authority
Missile Defense Agency
Melanie L. Weber
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/melanie-weber.jpg)
Professional Achievement I – Industry
Structural and Mechanical
Design Engineer, CST-100
Starliner–Subsystem Lead
for Crew and Cargo Accommodations,
Boeing Defense
Systems–Space & Launch
The Boeing Company
Alicia I. Ruvinsky, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alicia-ruvinsky.jpg)
Professional Achievement I – Military
Research Computer Science,
U.S. Army Engineer Research and
Development Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Susana F. Lizcano
Gonzalez, Ph.D., P.E
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/suzana-l-gonz.jpg)
Pioneer Award
Director, Shipment Quality Field Operations
Union Pacific
Evaristo Bonano, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/evaristo-bonano.jpg)
Lifetime Achievement – National Laboratory
Senior Manager,
Nuclear Engineering
Fuel Cycle, Org 8840
Sandia National Laboratories
Priscila Vansetti
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/priscila-vansetti.jpg)
Lifetime Achievement – Industry
Director, Global Strategy and
Business Development
Corteva Agriscience
Jorge A. Lopez, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/jorge-lopez.jpg)
Education Distinction
Schumaker Professor of Physics Department of Physics
The University of Texas at El Paso
Gilberto Morales, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/gilberto-morales.jpg)
Community Service
Staff Engineer
Bell Textron, Inc.
Stephanie N. Murphy
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/stepahnie-murphy.jpg)
Entreprenuer
Principal Owner & Executive Chairman
MEI Technologies, Inc.
Margaret Z. Dominguez, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/margaret-dominguez.jpg)
Most Promising Engineer, Ph.D. – Government
Optical Engineer
NASA – Goddard Space Center
Maribel Jaquez, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/maribel-jaquez.jpg)
Most Promising Engineer, Ph.D. – Industry
Principal Engineer,
Microelectronics Semiconductor
Northrop Grumman
Carlos M. Torres, Jr., Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/carlos-manuel-torres.jpg)
Most Promising Engineer, Ph.D. – Military
Researcher/Electronics Engineer,
Enterprise Communications and
Networks Division Naval
Information Warfare Center Pacific
U.S. Navy
Eduardo Rojas Nastrucci, Ph.D.
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/eduardo-rojas.jpg)
Lifetime Achievement – National Laboratory
Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, ECSSE Department
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Andrea Hidalgo
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/andrea-hidalgo.jpg)
Most Promising Engineer,
Master’s Degree – Industry
Calibration Specialist
General Motors
1Lt Flavio F. Marroquin
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/flavio-marroquin.jpg)
Most Promising Engineer, Master’s Degree – Military
Wing Training
67th Operations
Support Squadron (ACC)
U.S. Air Force
Carmen M. Mercado
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/carmen-mercado.jpg)
Most Promising Engineer, Undergraduate
Mechanical Engineer II,
Antenna Systems Department
Raytheon Missiles & Defense
Raytheon Technologies
Juan D. Quintero
![](https://greatmindsinstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/juan-quintero.jpg)
Most Promising Engineer,
Undergraduate
Project Manager
El Segundo Refinery
Chevron Products Company
Chevron