OREANDA-NEWS. October 20, 2015. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) employees Victor Aguilar-Ruiz and Paco Steve Freire were honored for being outstanding role models in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) this weekend at the 27th Annual Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC) put on by Great Minds in STEM™ in Pasadena, California.

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HENAAC recognizes the best and brightest STEM professionals on a national level who serve as role models to inspire young people to pursue technical careers with a focus on the Hispanic community. Award winners are peer reviewed and selected by a committee of representatives from industry, government, military and academic institutions.

Aguilar-Ruiz received a Most Promising Engineer - Undergraduate Degree award. He is a systems engineer in Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, working on requirements development, analysis and testing of navigation systems. After working as a Northrop Grumman intern, Aguilar-Ruiz moved to full-time mechanical and industrial engineering positions supporting manufacturing, process improvements and stress analysis. He has been a lead mentor in the Northrop Grumman High School Involvement Partnership program supporting students interested in engineering careers and is a leader in Adelante, Northrop Grumman's Hispanic employee resource group. Aguilar-Ruiz earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Steve Freire, an engineering program manager in Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, received the Luminary Honoree award. Before joining Northrop Grumman in 2004, he provided engineering support to surface and submersible programs for the U.S. Navy. At Northrop Grumman he has supported radar programs, manned and unmanned systems, bio-detection systems and the F-35 and F-16 programs. He has held leadership positions in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) D.C. and Baltimore chapters, helped create professional development programs and received a Leadership Recognition award from the SHPE Baltimore chapter. He also supports community STEM initiatives and is an active member of Adelante. Steve Freire earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from City College of New York and a master's degree in technical management from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.