HII EMPLOYEES RECEIVE NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR STEM ACHIEVEMENTS

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Oct. 19, 2015) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that 14 employees from HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions were among those recognized for achievements in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) during the 20th annual Women of Color STEM Conference.

The recipients were honored during the conference held last weekend at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. The conference provides a national forum to cultivate and celebrate the achievement of women in STEM fields.

HII’s Leah Colvin received a Special Recognition Award at the conference. She is an engineering manager at Newport News, where she oversees new business opportunities in non-shipbuilding markets in the areas of instrumentation and controls, software development, cyber security, and modeling and simulation. She also chairs Newport News’ diversity advocates team and promotes STEM education for young girls.

Thirteen HII employees received Technology Star awards, which recognize women of color who have demonstrated excellence in the workplace and are helping to shape technology for the future.

Leah Colvin

HII's 2015 Technology Stars are:

• Kiara Cammack, nuclear engineer, Newport News Shipbuilding. Cammack is responsible for technical oversight of engineering guidance for Virginia-class submarine electrical components.


• Ursula Darrington, electrical general foreman, Ingalls Shipbuilding. Darrington went through Ingalls’ electrical journeyman and supervisor program and is responsible for production plans and associated materials and tools for the electrical foremen.


• Penny Fairley, manager of material handling, Ingalls Shipbuilding. Fairley began her career as a lead planning and procurement representative and is currently involved in improved material tracking efforts at Ingalls.


• Sabrina Graves, manager of in-house subcontracts, Ingalls Shipbuilding. Graves serves as the liaison between project management, planning, line management and project teams for in-house subcontracts.


• Sabrina Malone, planning and scheduling, Ingalls Shipbuilding. Malone joined Ingalls as an outside machinery apprentice and currently is a production planner and scheduler.


• Haidee McKain, nuclear engineer, Newport News Shipbuilding. McKain began her career as a designer and now works as the lead test integrator for multiple systems on the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).


• Charlotte Merritt, project engineer, Ingalls Shipbuilding. Merritt is the control account manager for projects associated with outfitting design, producibility, structural architecture, naval architecture and weight control.


• Chelsey Owens, nuclear engineer, Newport News Shipbuilding. Owens began her career at Newport News as an intern and is now the lead engineer for several complex nuclear-propulsion components.


• Monica Pringle, electrical engineer, Newport News Shipbuilding. Pringle has contributed to several electrical engineering projects supporting in-service aircraft carriers and is currently supporting construction of Gerald R. Ford.


• Pamela Tanner, manager of procurement planning, Ingalls Shipbuilding. Tanner is responsible for all material requirement activities for new construction and planning yard contracts.


• Yevette Thomas, subcontracts administrator, Ingalls Shipbuilding. Thomas is participating in Ingalls’ Near-Term Future Leaders program designed to develop cross-functional knowledge and leadership potential. In subcontracts, she has worked with suppliers on cost-savings initiatives and has been responsible for various materials and supplies.


• Natasha Whittle, pipe foreman, Ingalls Shipbuilding. Whittle began her career as a pipefitter apprentice and has since gone on to serve as foreman for various Ingalls programs, including the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer program.


• Christina Wong, electromechanical engineer, Newport News Shipbuilding. Wong has contributed to various departments supporting design and construction of Gerald R. Ford and currently is the lead engineer supporting the engineering director for the carrier’s propulsion plant.