OREANDA-NEWS. February 24, 2016.  Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Christopher T. Jones, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Technology Services, was named the 2016 Black Engineer of the Year at the 30th annual Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Global Competitiveness Conference held this weekend in Philadelphia.

Northrop Grumman's Monique Smith received the BEYA Industry Community Service award. Additionally, 17 Northrop Grumman employees received honorable mentions as BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leaders.

Photos accompanying this release are available at: http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=39060

The employees were recognized for their dedication to community service, educational leadership and outstanding technical and professional contributions, among other achievements.

Jones, a member of the company's corporate policy council, leads Northrop Grumman Technology Services, a recognized leader in integrated logistics; sustainment; modernization; defense, health, civil and government services; and training solutions. The organization supports a diverse customer base, including: the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, State and Interior; NASA; the U.S. Postal Service; and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency. 

Jones earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He earned two master's degrees in aerospace engineering and engineering management from the University of Dayton, and a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is also a retired U.S. Air Force officer and retired member of the Connecticut Air National Guard.

Jones serves on the board of directors of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering and on the board of visitors for the University of Maryland College Park Clark School of Engineering, the Georgia Tech Advisory Board and the Air Force Association Board.

Monique Smith is a mission assurance engineer/project quality manager for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, supporting research and technology, and advanced systems development programs. Smith is involved in community support organizations such as Delta Sigma Theta and The Link Incorporate and she is a member of Northrop Grumman employee resources groups the African-American Task Group and Adelante. She mentors high school and elementary school students on STEM and provides career workshops. Smith earned a bachelor's degree in industrial technology engineering from California Polytechnic University – San Luis Obispo.

The 17 Northrop Grumman employees who were honored as BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leaders are: Obinna Anyanwu, Joan Braithwaite, Thurman Brown, Christopher Cummings, Andrew Eckhart, Leah Forde, Marc Harris, Madhavan Komanduri, Ellwood Lane, Ervin McWilson, Madison Murchison, Iesha Pankey, Anthony Stephenson, Tara Welborne, Chuck Wilson, Anthony Varela and Rickey Zachary.

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