FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Pasadena, CA September 2012
The National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) is pleased to announce the 2012 NOGLSTP Recognition Awards recipients.
2012 NOGLSTP Scientist of the Year, Martin Lo, PhD, has been working in the aerospace field since 1980. Dr. Lo is currently in the Instrument Software and Science Data Section, High Capability Computing and Modeling Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech. Dr. Lo’s research interests are in nonlinear astrodynamics and dynamical astronomy with applications to space mission design. He is also interested in the analysis of high dimensional data using differential geometric and topological methods, the goal of which is to use advanced mathematics and computation to support the exploration and development of space and to create new capabilities for new types of space missions to explore the universe and extend human presence in space. Dr. Lo has received numerous NASA Achievement Awards and published over 50 papers in his field. While investigating the existence of low energy trajectories between planets with a student, he used invariant manifold theory from dynamical systems to discover the fact that the Solar System is actually connected from one end to the other by ultra low energy trajectories forming an end-to-end transportation system travelled by the comets and asteroids since the creation of the Solar System. Dr. Lo has named this system the “Interplanetary Superhighway” which will ultimately make space travel simpler. Using this research, he is able to explain the unusual orbits followed by the Jupiter Family of Comets that often become temporarily captured, as in the Shoemaker-Levy 9 that crashed into the planet Jupiter. Dr. Lo lives in Altadena, CA with his partner of 31 years and their adopted cat.
The 2012 NOGLSTP Engineer of the Year Award recipient is Chariles W. Lickel, formerly Vice President of Software Research at IBM. Now retired, Mr. Lickel, joined IBM in 1978 and held many prominent positions within their software divisions. Prior to joining IBM Software Research in 2005, Mr. Lickel was Vice President for systems software and storage development fat IBM’s Systems & Technology Group, leading a team of over 8000 people. In that role, he was responsible for all storage systems product development, disk and tape storage systems, storage software and products for network attached storage (SAN and NAS), as well as UNIX (AIX and Linux Technology Center) and software development for IBM eServer zSeries, iSeries and xSeries families of products. Mr. Lickel is a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum in Silicon Valley; serves on Out and Equal’s Board of Directors, sits on the advisory boards of The Guidance Center, SUNY Albany, Pace University and the NJ Institute of Technology, and is a member of the Human Rights Campaign. Recognized as a leader of diversity within IBM, he was appointed the co-chair of the corporation’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) corporate diversity task force in 1998. In 2001, he was honored as one of the “Gay Financial Network 25” for his effectiveness in shaping a diversity-friendly climate at work, as well as for service as a role model in business leadership. Mr. Lickel currently lives in Tarrytown, NY with his partner.
The 2012 NOGLSTP Educator of the Year is Dr. Mark Pope, Professor and Chair since 1997 of the University of Missouri, St Louis Division of Counseling and Family Therapy. Dr. Pope is a licensed Psychologist and has authored over 100 scholarly publications with much of his research focused on career development and LGBTQ issues. Dr. Pope’s scholarly work has contributed greatly to the multicultural and social justice counseling movement. He has illuminated the diversity which exists within LGBTQ communities, and has served to greatly expand a generation of counseling psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals’ understanding of LGBTQ issues in counseling and psychotherapy through workshops and mentoring. Dr. Pope has served as President of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and was ACA’s first openly gay President. He was instrumental in advancing the inclusion of LBGTQ issues into the multicultural discourse of the profession. His presence in ACA as an openly gay man has served as a role model for other psychologists and counselor educators who were reluctant to be themselves in their places of higher learning and/or employment. Dr. Pope was recently elected President of the American Psychological Association’s Division 44, which is the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues.
The Walt Westman Award is named after one of NOGLSTP’s founders. This award is the highest national award given to a NOGLSTP Member who has shown dedication and commitment to the advancement of NOGLSTP’s mission. This prestigious award recognizes the unselfish and outstanding contributions of the honoree, whose activities — carried on continuously over a period of years — have brought honor and esteem to the NOGLSTP by their very character. This year, NOGLSTP is proud to honor Amy A. Ross, PhD, with the Walt Westman Award. Dr. Amy Ross has been active in the LGBTQA community for over 30 years. She was a founding member of Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Scientists and an early member of NOGLSTP. She has presented innumerable workshops and symposia on medical and scientific issues that relate to the LGBT community, many of them sponsored by NOGLSTP. In addition she has been instrumental in putting together the NOGLSTP Mentoring Program and MentorNet Affiliated Plus Partnership Program for NOGLSTP serving the role as coordinator since its inception and mentoring young people in the program. She has represented NOGLSTP at many professional society meetings, staffing booths and receptions, and acting a spokesperson for NOGLSTP. Most recently she has co-chaired and coordinated both of NOGLSTP’s Out to Innovate Summits for LGBTQA people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Flying across the country on behalf of NOGLSTP, she has secured funding for the summits talking to sponsors and helping to write grants on NOGLSTP’s behalf. Dr. Ross’s unselfish and outstanding contributions of time, her generous personal contributions, and her tireless efforts on NOGLSTP’s behalf over many, many years have brought NOGLSTP the recognition that now accounts for much of the organizations success over the last few years.
“These Recognition Awards were established in 2005 as a means to document and honor the contributions of outstanding GLBT science, engineering and technology professionals and to also honor corporations, academic institutions and businesses that support GLBT professionals so that advancements can be made in those fields”, stated Rochelle Diamond, chair of the NOGLSTP Board of Directors.
NOGLSTP’s Recognition Awards will be presented at the gala banquet during their signature event, the “Out to Innovate™” career summit for LGBT people in STEM, October 13-14, 2012, hosted by oSTEM at Ohio State University, Columbus OH.
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About NOGLSTP
NOGLSTP was established in 1980, incorporated in the State of California in 1991, and was granted IRS 501 (c) 3 non-profit status in 1992. NOGLSTP’s mission is to educate the scientific and general communities about the presence and accomplishments of LGBT individuals in STEM professions. NOGLSTP presents educational symposia and workshops nationwide. NOGLSTP fosters dialog with other professional societies, academia, and industry to facilitate diversity and inclusion in the workplace. NOGLSTP is an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is a participating professional society member of MentorNet®, a sustaining member of the National Postdoctoral Association, a member of the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute Presidential Advisory Project’s Coalition and a founding member of the E-Week Diversity Council.
For more information, visit the website at www.noglstp.org or contact: Rochelle Diamond, Chair, at chair at noglstp dot org.