ERDC computer scientist earns Black Engineer of the Year Award > Engineer Research and Development Center > News Stories

VICKSBURG, Miss. – Abdul Mohamed, a researcher from the U.S. Military Engineer Research and Growth Centre (ERDC), was recently picked to get a 2023 Black Engineer of the Yr Award (BEYA). The BEYA acknowledges African American researchers and engineers all over the country who are shaping the potential of science, know-how, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as properly as selling diversity and inclusion in the STEM pipeline.

Mohamed, a computer scientist in the Facts Technology Laboratory (ITL) Scientific Software program Department, has been an employee of the ERDC for 19 many years. He was awarded the Fashionable-Day Know-how Leader Award and gained recognition virtually at the 2023 BEYA STEM Meeting throughout the Technological innovation Recognition Occasion on Friday, February 10, 2023.

“I felt honored and amazed when I uncovered out that I acquired this award,” Mohamed mentioned. “It is undoubtedly gratifying to be acknowledged by your colleagues.”

As a school undergraduate student, Mohamed attended a BEYA convention and job honest where he was able to obtain expertise by interviewing for a summer season internship.

“To get this award, would make me come to feel like my specialist profession has come whole circle” he defined.

Mohamed’s really like for STEM started in large college when he learned that he loved quantities. He imagined of pursuing an accounting degree, but even though he was in the dual degree software at Jackson Condition College, he decided to significant in mathematics. Afterwards, he acquired his computer system engineering degree from Mississippi Point out University.

Mohamed’s suggestions to African American college students intrigued in STEM is to get gain of all available methods.

“Local local community businesses or educational institutions may well give in-person workshops or summertime courses to expose African People in america to STEM,” he said. “Establishing a solid basis in STEM at a youthful age will unquestionably aid in the extensive operate.”

In his working day-to-day position, Mohamed performs in application growth — which spans from net purposes to desktop shopper programs. He is psyched about a new reducing-edge technological know-how known as edge computing — an architecture that gives computation and knowledge storage nearer to the information source.

“ITL lately announced that a new Edge Computing Facility will be completed quickly, which will enhance our visibility in this increasing place,” stated Mohamed.

“Every day when I come to operate, I am in a position to serve my state from a civilian standpoint,” he mentioned. “It’s fascinating and satisfying to operate on initiatives that aid assist the mission of our warfighters. I’m not out in the field as an active military services man or woman — I’m actively playing a powering the scenes part, and I’m content with that.”

Mohamed credits his workforce and supervisors for producing an awesome work ecosystem at ERDC.

“We just have a excellent time functioning with each other and are continually studying and making an attempt and remedy problems” he mentioned.

“I am happy to see younger experts in just the ERDC recognized on a national level these kinds of as this,” stated Dr. David Pittman, director of the ERDC. “It speaks nicely of Abdul, ITL and our business.”