LOS ANGELES, Nov. 5, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Twelve Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) employees were honored with 2007 National Women of Color Technology Awards that recognize the significant accomplishments of minority women in science, engineering and technology, and their leadership and mentor roles in the workplace and community. 

  -- Chineta K. Davis, vice president and general manager of Operations
    at Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, received the
    Technologist of the Year award.
 -- Veronica L. Nelson, manager of the Professional Development
    Program (PDP) for the company's Electronic Systems sector,
    received the Corporate Promotion of Education award.
 -- Zohra Hemani, Hilary Oliphant, Royce Allen, Michelle Marcolla,
    Monique Smith and Berdenia W. Stanley received Technical Rising
    Star awards.
 -- Alka Patel, Kim Sawyer, Monique Jones and Ameli Nillo received
    Technical All Star awards.

The 12th annual National Women of Color Technology Awards and Conference recognized the accomplishments of minority women in the fields of technology, engineering and science. The conference provides a forum to discuss key issues in U.S. job growth diversity and the critical shortage of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and the business sector; creates an environment for professional, career, and personal development; and fosters networking opportunities.

Chineta Davis, vice president and general manager of Operations at Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, was named Technologist of the Year, the National Women of Color Technology Awards' top honor.

The award represents the selection committee's view on a nominee whose accomplishments distinguish her far beyond her individual disciplines. This award represents recognition of high merit, broad effect on people in many disciplines, and value to society as a whole.

Davis has executive responsibility for all sector manufacturing and supply-chain operations and processes. She joined the company in 1976 and has held a variety of management and executive positions in operations, programs, site management and business development. In 1999, Davis was appointed director of Integrated Enterprise Visibility, and, in 2001, she was named director of Program Quality Assurance. She subsequently served as director of Production Transition in the Airborne Surveillance Systems business unit and later as director of Strategic Sourcing in the Procurement and Materials Management organization. In 2004, Davis was appointed vice president of Norden Systems business unit and, in 2006, was named vice president of Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) Airborne Surveillance Radar Programs. Most recently she served as vice president of Corporate Business Development where she was responsible for the identification, development, planning and implementation of business development strategies and processes across the corporation.

Davis earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and has completed the Executive Marketing Program and the African American Leadership Institute Program at UCLA and the General Manager's Program at Harvard University.

Veronica Nelson, manager of the PDP for Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, received the Corporate Promotion of Education award that honors her efforts to promote minority education advancement in science, engineering and technology.

Nelson has participated in multiple programs at Northrop Grumman dedicated to educating elementary, middle school and high school students about opportunities in STEM. For over 12 years, Nelson has participated in Northrop Grumman's Discover "E" program, an educational initiative aimed at exposing elementary, middle and high school students to engineering in an effort to cultivate an interest in math and science-related careers by bringing engineers into area classrooms. She has participated for the past seven years in Northrop Grumman's Worthwhile To Help High School Youth (WORTHY) mentoring program, which teams Northrop Grumman employees with Baltimore city high school students to help students pursue technical careers. She also participated in the National Engineers Week Foundation's 24-Hour Global Marathon -- For, By and About Women in Engineering, a real-time resource for teachers, parents, guidance counselors and students to discuss opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with engineers who are passionate about their jobs.

Nelson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a master's degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in robotics from Howard University.

Six Northrop Grumman employees received the Technical Rising Star award, which recognizes young minority women who are helping to shape technology for the future: Zohra Hemani, Hilary Oliphant, Royce Allen, Michelle Marcolla, Monique Smith from Northrop Grumman's Information Technology sector and Berdenia W. Stanley from Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector.

Alka Patel, Kim Sawyer and Monique Jones from Northrop Grumman's Information Technology sector, and Amelia Nillo from the company's Technical Services sector were all recipients of the Technical All Star award, which honors women of color who are at advanced stages of their careers and have demonstrated excellence at work and in their communities.

The award recipients were honored during the 2007 National Women of Color Technology Awards and Conference on Nov. 1-3, 2007 in Atlanta, Ga.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide. 

  CONTACT:  Tom Henson
          Northrop Grumman Corporation
          (310) 201-3458
          thomas.henson@ngc.com