NSBE to convene in Toronto

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) will hold its 36th Annual Convention March 31 through April 4 in Toronto, Canada, marking the first international convention in the Society’s 35-year history.

Participating in this year’s convention, which boasts the theme "Engineering a Global Impact," will be more than 200 sponsors and exhibitors, including companies such as Caterpillar Inc., Exxon Mobil Corporation, IBM Corporation, United Technologies Corporation, Ontario Power, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and Ford Motor Company. In addition, leading colleges and universities and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada will be present.

Keynote speakers include the Honourable Michael Lee-Chin, a Jamaican-Canadian investor who is the founder and chairman of Portland Holdings Inc., a privately held investment company operating in sectors that include media, tourism, health care telecommunications and financial services. In the latest Forbes Billionaires’ list, he ranked 701, with assets worth around $1.0 billion. Canadian Business has named him one of the richest people in Canada, and he made headlines in 2003 when he donated $30 million to the Royal Ontario Museum.

Corporate sponsor United Technologies Corporation will kick off the convention’s Opening Session with a keynote from Michael McQuade, senior vice president for science & technology. His responsibilities include providing strategic oversight and guidance for research, engineering and development activities throughout the business units of the corporation and at the United Technologies Research Center.

In addition to a wealth of technical workshops, the convention will offer events, such as a Technical Paper Competition, a Graduate School Conference and hands-on technical activities for middle and high school students. The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers will also be present.

Capt. Willie L. Metts of the United States Navy has been named the 2010 Distinguished Engineer of the Year and will receive recognition at the 13th Annual NSBE Golden Torch Awards ceremony on Saturday, April 3 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The Golden Torch Legacy Award will go to Col. Frederick D. Gregory, United States Air Force (Ret.), former deputy administrator of NASA. Col. Gregory was a graduate of Case Institute in Cleveland with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering, and then went to MIT for a master’s.
www.nsbe.org