Beverly Thompson (PhD '99) receives Modern-Day Technology Leader award
Dr. Beverly Thompson was recognized with a Modern-Day Technology Leader award at The Black Engineer of the Year Awards STEM Conference (Feb. 9-11) in Washington D.C.
Dr. Thompson received her PhD in computer science from William & Mary in December 1999 under the direction of Dr. Steven K. Park. Previously she had earned a Master’s degree from the University of Central Florida and an undergraduate degree in computer science from Florida State University.
Dr. Thompson received this award in recognition of her commitment to shaping the future of engineering, science, and technology. The award also honors efforts to strengthen the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline that will help keep the United States strong, safe, and competitive in the future.
Dr. Thompson has distinguished herself as a technical leader, mentor, and humanitarian, with a commitment to technical excellence and a passion for serving the community.
Her professional experience includes R&D work on image and signal exploitation tools, and the application of atmospheric and terrestrial remote sensing technology. She has also investigated the application of image processing and pattern analysis techniques to biomedical and bioimaging problems.
Dr. Thompson joined Leidos (then the Science Applications International Corporation) in 2001 from the Sandia National Laboratory, and quickly emerged as a team leader and customer liaison. She has made significant contributions to several national defense projects, including work for the US Army, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Missile Defense Agency. She is currently leading a team that is developing advanced sensor algorithms to deliver mission-critical capabilities in support of national defense.
Dr. Thompson's contributions as a technical leader are only part of her broad and positive impact. She is a tireless champion of STEM efforts both in the U.S. and abroad. She supports women as role models at the Career Girls Project. She is a volunteer writing coach for college-bound teens at College Summit in Washington, D.C. She supports several global women and youth empowerment projects including Harare and Kufunda Learning Village in Zimbabwe, and Women For Women International in Rwanda. Dr. Thompson also brings her technical expertise to her humanitarian work, and is interested in the use of geospatial technology for human rights documentation and conflict early-warning prediction and prevention.
Dr. Thompson recently completed a Master’s degree, with honors, in Peace and Conflict Studies at Wesley Theological Seminary and dual study in the International Peace and Conflict Resolution Program/School of International Service at American University. She is a part-time peacebuilding and community engagement consultant, an associate for the Institute of World Affairs, and an on-call scientist for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
