Tuck MBEP Alumni Association |
CONTENTS
|
Coming Up in 2008 |
Have You Moved? |
Contact Us |
Alland Leandre Receives Black Engineer of the Year Award:
|
 |
Columbia, MD, Feb. 25, 2008 -- Before an exuberant audience at the Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) Awards Conference 2008 held Feb. 14-17, celebrating the most distinguished minorities in the science and technology fields ranging from the highest ranks of the military to their counterparts in industry, Alland Leandre stood as a giant in his own right as he was bestowed the Black Engineer of the Year Entrepreneur Award.
With only five years under his belt as the Chief Executive Officer of Vyalex Management Solutions, Inc., a small avionics engineering and management company headquartered in Howard County, Maryland, Leandre’s genius and hard work illustrates the combined power of business and technology. In fact, this coveted award has not been given every year in the 22 year history of the conference.
“One of my earliest and most profound memories is the first time I ever saw an airplane up close. I was 3-years-old at the time and was at the airport with my mother saying “goodbye” to my father who was leaving the country (Haiti) for America. I remember being mesmerized by what appeared to be a magical object that flies to great places. I knew then that I would spend a great part of my life learning how the magic of flight works. I decided early to do whatever was necessary in order to become an engineer,” Leandre told the crowd gathered at the awards formal gala.
To this goal, Leandre has always been interested and involved in education and helping others take advantage of what he aspired to at an early age.
Leandre received an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering at Syracuse University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross Graduate School of Business. He’s a U.S. Army veteran and honed his skills in the corporate world. But owning his own business was always in his dreams. The dream became real with the founding of Vyalex. And he’s always dreamed of making a difference in the global competitiveness arena by developing a diversified workforce from within the United States.
 |
As part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) initiative, his company and C&M Solutions of Lexington Park, MD, created the Vyalex Total Technology Pipeline (V-TTP), which sponsored more than 36 students from Great Mills High School in St. Mary’s County to the Black Family Technology Awareness Program at BEYA activities in the Global Competitiveness Conference on Saturday. Students engaged in interactive exercises with host Mario Armstrong, a technology broadcaster with NPR, to learn about science, technology, math and engineering facts and feats. Being able to win an iPOD and other technology gadgets for answering the right questions, made the competition even more exciting for students.
Dr. Cardinal Warde, Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), addressed V-TTP students in an orientation and encouraged them to “do something you like.” He stressed the importance of using the public library, school resources and mentors to succeed in their education and career goals.
Engineer and mentor Albert Sweets from Morgan State University’s Clarence M. Mitchell School of Engineering, helped students make a road map and plan of their time, studies and future by engaging them in discussions of their ideas and aspirations.
The Vyalex Day ended with a spectacular tour of the U.S. Navy warship USS Forrest Sherman, DDG 98 that was commissioned to the Port of Baltimore from Norfolk, VA, especially for this event. Students, staff and chaperones got a full tour of the navy destroyer and got to experience what careers exist in the U.S. Navy and what life is like aboard ship.
From dreams to reality, Leandre is realizing the fruits of his labor. The BEYA award, he said, is one of the capstones in his career and in reaching his goals.
