Alum, Adrienne Pope-Kelly Washington was the First African-American Director of the Security Directorate at Army Aviation & Missile Command

Alabmaa A&M University's Motto, "Service is Sovereignty" is a legacy Alumnus Mrs. Adrienne Pope-Kelly Washington has displayed in her personal and professional life. Adrienne Pope-Kelly Washington spent 20 of her 36 years of a distinguished government service career in top leadership roles.

She is the first African-American woman to be promoted to the highest position possible at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, director of the Security Assistance Management Directorate (SAMD), U.S. Army and Missile Command (AMCOM).

Now retired, Washington attended public schools in Sylacauga and later received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in economics and her master’s degree in business administration from Alabama A&M University. She is also a 1973 graduate of the U.S. Army Intern Training Center-Depot Operations Program, Industrial College of the Armed Forces and a 1987 graduate of the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, Calif.

During the years of 1990 through 2007, Washington attended more than 30 Department of Defense and Army Leadership courses.

Known to those close to her as “P K,” Washington has been highly recognized for her multi-tasking skills as she worked in high profile positions. She managed Weapon Systems (Missile Systems and Rotary Wing Aircrafts) programs for more than 70 foreign nations and organizations with inventory values of $25.2 billion.

During high peak times in her career, Washington supervised more than 1,000 government and contract personnel, both within and outside the United States.

Host nations she visited included Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

She currently serves as a part-time senior international program analyst at WYLE-CAS Company, supporting the U.S. Government in the development and execution of programs that transfer missile systems to foreign allies.

She has been active in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority since she was initiated into the Gamma Mu Chapter at Alabama A&M University in 1970.

Her very first position was vice president of the 1970 Ivy Leaf Pledge Club.

The last chapter position she held before being elected the 24th South Eastern Regional Director in March, 2010, was president of the 300-plus member Epsilon Gamma Omega Chapter in Huntsville.

Under Washington’s leadership, the chapter sponsored two undergraduate chapters.

During her 40-year membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha, she has held the offices of dean of pledges, president, vice president and treasurer.

She was twice elected Soror of the Year and is a certified graduate advisor.

She worked as logistics chairman for the 1996 South Eastern Regional Conference and served as chairman of the 72nd conference in 2002.

She is a member of the South Eastern Heritage Team and is a Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Washington is a founding member of the Alabama Sickle Cell Foundation and The Ivy Center of Huntsville/Madison County for which she served as the first treasurer.

She is a 30-year member of St. John A.M.E. Church in Huntsville and was the first woman appointed there to serve on the board of stewards.

She has also chaired numerous committees, including Women’s Day for two consecutive years. Additional affiliations include the Alabama A&M University Alumni Association and the National Society of Security Professionals.

Commendations and awards made to Washington have been from American government sources as well as from foreign governments, including Saudi Arabia, Japan, Israel and Kuwait.

These include a 1991 U.S. Army Material Command Service Medal for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, a 1992 Presidential Citation from the National Association for Equal opportunity in Higher Education and a 2007 Department of Defense Superior Civilian Service Award.

Washington is married to U.S. Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Darwin O. Washington of Hampton, Va. The couple married in June 2010. The Washingtons reside in Huntsville.

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Source:
The Daily Home - Returning ‘home’ for A M

Alabama A&M Physics Alum, Professor & RDECOM’ Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Ruffin Received Presidential Meritorious Rank Award

Huntsville, Ala. ---- A noted and much-honored physicist at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) received an even greater distinction at the Pentagon on June 29, 2011.

Dr. Paul B. Ruffin, an Alabama A&M University alumnus who serves as RDECOM’s senior research scientist for micro-sensors and systems, received the coveted Presidential Meritorious Rank Award,symbolic of the very best in service to the federal government and worthy of recognition by the President of the United States.

A senior executive, Ruffin joins the select one percent of the government’s incomparable leaders, scientists, and other professionals known for their ability to bring about results and to consistently exude integrity and commitment to public service. There are two categories of rank awards: Distinguished and Meritorious. Award winners are chosen through a rigorous selection process.

Of the U.S. Government's 1.8 million civilian employees, only 6,800 have risen to be career Senior Executives. Of that elite pool, fewer than 50 are typically selected to be Distinguished Executives annually. Army employees who receive the Presidential Rank Award save the Service billions of dollars with efficiencies and advanced technologies.

As the Army’s senior research scientist (ST) for micro sensors and systems, Dr. Ruffin provides technical leadership and direction for research and development programs in the micro- and nano-scale technology area; interacts with international scientists, industry, academia, and with scientists in the Army and other government agencies; successfully leads notable research and development programs; and pioneers major technical breakthroughs to overcome the size and cost obstacle common to high performance navigation systems.

In July 2003, Dr. Ruffin was promoted to the highest rank for a research scientist – senior research scientist (ST) – that anyone could achieve in Government service, making him the first African-American to ever attain such status in the Army. He received the B. S. degree in physics from Alabama A&M University in 1977. He was the first African American to receive advanced degrees in physics from any school of higher learning in the state of Alabama, when he earned his M.S. (1982) and later his Ph.D. (1986) degrees in Physics from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Dr. Ruffin’s research in Fiber Optics, MEMS, and Nanotechnology has resulted in seven (7) patents, four book chapters, and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. His latest patent, “Nano Smart Needle for Precision Sensing and Treatment that Promotes Healing in Living Tissue,” revealed a noninvasive technique for treating cancer patients. He is the co-editor of a textbook on “Fiber Optics Sensors: Second Edition,” CRC Press, 2007.

Moreover, Ruffin is an Adjunct Professor in the Physics Department at Alabama A&M University. Dr. Ruffin, who is an SPIE Fellow (2005), has received numerous prestigious awards, including the 2011 Black Engineer of the Year STEM Minorities in Research Science's (MiRS) Professional Achievement Emerald Award, the Army Research and Development Achievement Award from the Secretary of the Army in 2003, Black Engineer of the Year: Special Recognition, Technologist of the Year Award, Top Ten Army Materiel Command Personnel of the Year Award, Material Acquisition/Technology Award from the American Defense Preparedness Association, Recognition for a Canadian Patent, and many other awards.

Dr. Ruffin is a resident of Harvest, Ala., and pastors Forge Temple Church of God in Christ in Birmingham, Ala. He is married to Vetrea Slack Ruffin, National Gospel Recording Artist and employee at Alabama A&M University. They have two daughters, Lacretia (Kellen) Conaway and Angelica Ruffin (both are graduates of AAMU); and two grand children, Victoria Conaway (daughter of Lacretia and Kellen Conaway) and Jared Armand Smith, son of Angelica.
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Source: AAMU

AAMU Chemistry student, Taylor C..Hood is the July 2011 Thurgood Marshall College Fund Distinguished Scholar of the Month

Alabama A&M Student Taylor C. Hood, is published in Journal of Applied Crystallography Volume 44, Issue 2, pages 327–336, April 2011. The subject matter is "Building and refining complete nanoparticle structures with total scattering data". Miss Hood has more than promise, but the making of a notable Scientist of the future. She is the recipient of several awards. Miss Hood recently won first place in AAMU’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Day competition. In addition, Taylor was honored by the American Chemistry Society with the Student Leadership Award, the OCC Award, and is a finalist in the American Chemistry Society Scholars Program where she is conducting research this summer at Washington State University. For Taylors scholarly research, Talor C. Hood has been chosen by the Thurgood Marshall Scholars Program as the July 2011 Distiguished Scholar of the month.




"A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste." Thank you Taylor C. Hood for being another shining example of the AAMU Family. I am sure, I will be reporting your innovative discoveries in the future.

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Source: www.thurgoodmarshallfund.net

Alabama A&M Graduate Amanda Whatley was Chosen as one of the State Department's Critical Language Scholarship Recipient to Study in Turkey

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Amanda Whatley leaves June 15 to spend the summer studying in Turkey under a U.S. State Department scholarship. Ms. Whatley is a Dothan Alabama native is May 2011 Alabama A&M graduate with a political science degree.

She is among 575 college students to receive the U.S. State Department's Critical Language Scholarship. Students will spend seven to 10 weeks in intensive language institutes. And the students are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply these critical skills in their professional careers. More than 5,200 students across the country applied for the scholarship.

Whatley asserted, she chose to study in Turkey after consulting with Dr. Ronald Slaughter, chair of the Department of Behavior Sciences and associate political science professor at A&M, and other advisers. Amanda's interest in Turkey grew from Turkey's evolving socioeconomic and political role in the developing middle east.

Whatley plans to pursue a graduate degree in global sustainability at the University of South Florida when she returns from Turkey. A focus of her study will be on the use of water. Whatley hopes to return to Turkey as part of a graduate study project, looking at the application of water in dynamic country in the middle east.
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Source: Turkey News and AL.com

Urban League Honors A&M Alum & Business Professor, Dr. Larry McDaniel

Huntsville, Ala. ---- An Alabama A&M University department head in the School of Business was recently recognized for his longstanding work on behalf of the pivotal Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP).

Dr. Larry McDaniel, AAMU alumnus and chair of the Department of Management and Marketing, was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the National Urban League Black Executive Exchange Program during the League’s recent and nearly 500-person conference in Orlando, Fla.

More than 100 students representing historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) also attended the jobs-themed conference to observe the National Urban League’s 42nd annual Black Executive Exchange Program Leadership Conference. BEEP is the National Urban League’s longest running direct service program. It is a partnership involving the business community, government and non-profit institutions that places African American executives in classrooms at more than 80 HBCUs as visiting professors and role models.

The program’s premise is that by exposing Black college students to African American executive role models and their real-world experiences, students can become better prepared for effective corporate leadership. The program also provides a unique opportunity for professionals and corporations to give back to their communities while helping African American college students achieve their goals. The National Urban League is led by Marc H. Morial, president & CEO, and former mayor of New Orleans.

Dr. McDaniel says he is proud to become one of only 16 individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame in the program’s 42-year history. Inductees are selected based on theirs years of work and level of commitment to the success of the program.
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Source: AAMU

AAMU Alum's second Presidential Appointment to USDA Leadership position

Daniel Robinson was appointed to serve as State Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Alabama by President Barack Obama in October 2009. He served in the same capacity from 1998 to 2001 under the Clinton Administration.

Agriculture is Alabama's largest industry, contributing nearly $5 billion to the State's economy each year. With over 48,000 farms covering nine million acres, wherever you look in Alabama, you see agriculture. Some of the best agricultural products in the world are grown in Alabama, from poultry and peanuts to sweet potatoes and catfish. At least fifty different commercial crops and livestock are produced in Alabama.

USDA FSA's primary mission is to assist Alabama’s farmers and ranchers to secure the greatest possible benefit from programs administered by FSA, such as farm loans, commodity price support, disaster relief, conservation, and other available resources. The hard working men and women of Alabama’s 45 county offices are at the forefront of our efforts, and they remain the primary contact for program participation and related questions.

As Alabama began to dig out from deadly tornadoes that ripped through the Southeast, the state’s agricultural leaders met with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack about programs to help farmers whose lives and livelihoods were impacted by the storms. Vilsack joined Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills on a tour of tornado-ravaged Pratt City near Birmingham where USDA FSA was at the forefront helping farmers obtain federal aid for removal, fence repair and livestock and crop losses.

Mr. Robinson brings a lifetime of agriculture experience to USDA.Mr. Robinson began his career with Alabama Farm Service Agency in 1970 and has served in various positions, including County Program Operations Specialist Trainee, County Operations Program Specialist, Agricultural Program Specialist, Chief Agricultural Program Specialist, State Civil Rights and Appeals Coordinator and State Executive Director.

During a brief period of retirement from USDA, between 2001 and 2009, Robinson
served as Assistant Marketing Director for the Alabama Department of Agriculture &
Industries, where he was responsible for within-house day-to-day operations of the
Agriculture Promotions Division. Robinson was also the Program Coordinator for the
Department’s Farmland Protection Program, whereby Federal matching dollars from
USDA/FSA were used to purchase from landowners the development rights of prime
farm land as conservation easements in perpetuity.

Robinson was born and reared on a small family farm in Coosa County, Alabama, where his family grew the traditional row crops (cotton and corn), including vegetable crops the latter years, which were marketed by way of U-Pick and “peddling.” He attended Alabama A&M University where he earned a B.S. Degree in Agriculture Education with a minor in General Science. Robinson taught junior high Science and Aerospace prior to his career with USDA.

Robinson lives in Montgomery with his wife. They have one daughter, two sons, and
three grandchildren.
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Source:USDA FSA website

Alabama A&M Alum, Odysseus Lanier's opening statement during the Size Standards Hearing

On Thursday, May 5, 2011 the House Small Business Committee Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access held a hearing entitled Professional Services: Proposed Changes to the Small Business Size Standards. Alabama A&M Alum, Odysseus Lanier testified before congress on behalf of Institute of Certified public Accountants (AICPA) for small businesses. Mr. Lanier made his argument to raise the standard for small businesses limits to $25M in federal government procurement policy.




Odysseus M. Lanier is one of four founding partners with McConnell Jones Lanier & Murphy LLP (MJLM). MJLM is the third largest African American-owned accounting and consulting firm in the United States, the largest African American-owned accounting and consulting firm south of Virginia's southern border, and the 17th largest public accounting firm in Houston, Texas, with satellite offices in Huntsville, Alabama, Dallas, Texas, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Washington, DC. He leads the firm's Federal Services Group and specializes in working with federal, state and local government agencies by providing strategic planning, financial management, and operations review and support services.

With more than 33 years of experience in strategic planning, governance, financial management, project management, control, and cost analysis, Odysseus has sharpened his skill of reviewing and evaluating governance; creating team-building systems; organizing and directing management; establishing strategic outsourcing alternatives; and analyzing general business operations. He has extensive knowledge of federal, state, and local procurement policy, procurement strategies, contracting processes, and process improvement strategies.

Odysseus is a certified public accountant (CPA) and a graduate of Alabama A&M University where he received a B.S. in Accounting in 1977 and now serves on the University's Board of Trustees. He is the former chairperson of the Board of Commissioners for the Harris County Housing Authority. He currently serves on the board of directors of Mental Health America of Greater Houston; the board of directors of the Joe Sample Youth Organization; and the corporate board for the Youth Motivation Task Force sponsored by the Alabama A&M University Career Development Services Office.