Golden Torch Award Essay

Companies shoot been striving to be the best in their measureive orbital cavity of work and products. Continuous improvement on the part of the management and commitment on the part of the employees is very important to stay competitive especi anyy in the ever-gro net incomeg market of society. It is non thus surprising that companies strive to earn distinguishing label of excellence such as world-class awards. One of the most prestigious awards that can be received is the gold Torch honor.Unlike all other awards, the well-disposed Torch accolade stands out from the rest because it is non only an award of excellence plainly also of justice and wanness on how the friendship treats employees regarding their race. Purpose and Background The National Society of wispy manoeuvres, famously known as NSBE, initiated the chromatic Torch Awards in the course 1997. However, no exact date is available as to when the first grand Torch Awards has been held. The NSBE is a preemin ent organization that seeks to serve blacks in the palm of engineering and technology (2008 GTA Winners).The organization was pi angiotensin-converting enzymeered by school-age childs of Purdue University in 1971. As the campus assimilator organization flourished in Purdue, the charter members encouraged and coordinated with variant universities end-to-end the country offering engineering courses. Thus, in 1975, the organization became national with all oer 30 school chapter organizations. The groups well-known torch symbolic representation represents the members everlasting and burning desire to achieve the victor in a competitive society resulting to a positive solvent on the quality of life for people from all walks of life.The organization seeks to contact an impact on society and the world by the accomplishments and contributions of its members to engineering, technology and point in the academe (NSBE Mission). The Golden Torch Award is just unrivaled of the many act ivities that the NSBE has imparted to the society. The said award wishes to recognize brilliance among African-American engineers, scientists and technologists, including organizations that prevail exhibited a commitment to the recruitment, retention and promotion of minorities (Siebels, 2004, p. 329).It honors varied companies, institutions and individual persons who stir their professions and the world with outstanding intelligence, competent talent and vibrant vision at the same time serving as role models for everyone in advancing opportunities for African-Americans (DiScipio). Furthermore, the award links accomplishments of its awardees with the dreams of college-bound students. The Golden Torch Award is bestowed every stratum on the annual convention of NSBE, which seeks to raise scholarship funds for merit high school students (2008 GTA Winners). Award CriteriaThe mission of NSBE is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and impact the federation positively (NSBE Mission). It is thus understandable that the Golden Torch Award is knowing to highlight the achievements of distinguished black engineers and technical professionals together with incoming college students (US Navy). Golden Torch Awardees are usually chosen by scrutinizing resumes, professional achievements, community of interests service and other criteria depending on the type of category of the award.A team of judges consisting of professional and academic leaders both in the orbit of science and engineering selects the masters of the award (Black Engineers). There are no particularized criteria available for the award. Additionally, it will be very arduous to do so since the Golden Torch Award is but a general experimental condition for numerous awards varying in category. Nevertheless, the clinicals of the NSBE can be a salient estimation of the factors that determine the qualifications for awardees.The NSBE has five objectives to undertake. First is to motivate and develop student interests in the various engineering disciplines. The organizations second objective is to make a great effort in amplifying the number of nonage students learning engineering at undergraduate and graduate levels. The third is to partial(p) assistance to members searching for advanced degrees in the field of engineering or its related fields and obtaining professional engineering registrations.Fourth is promoting public consciousness of engineering and the opportunities for minorities in their respective professions. Fifth is to act as ambassadors regarding issues and innovations that whitethorn affect careers of black engineers (NSBE Mission). These different objectives of the organization are met in one way or another in the criteria used for judging of Golden Torch Award winners. Awards given are numerous and have different titles.In the year 2000, the awards given are National Chairs Award for Lea dership in Technology, Executive Leader of the twelvemonth, exploit Award, aliveness Achievement in Academia, life history Achievement in presidency, Lifetime Achievement in Industry, Pioneer of the Year, Outstanding Woman in Technology, mike fights Distinguished Fellow of the Year, Distinguished Engineer, Diversity Leadership in Industry, Diversity Leadership in Government, Corporate Community Service, Corporate/ training fusion, Executive Directors Award for Advancing Diversity, Pre-College Community Service, towering School of the Year, Pre-College Program of the Year, Pre-College Student of the Year, Academic Visionary, Graduate Student of the Year, nonage engineer Program Director, Pre-College gap Program of the Year, Chapter of the Year, technologist of the Year and atom of the Year (Black Engineers). Additional awards given this 2008 include Janice A. Lumpkin Educator of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year and Corporate Diversity Leadership Award (2008 GTA Winners) . Benefits of the AwardAlthough there are no tangible benefits that the Golden Torch Award can offer, it lock away speaks of the prestige that its awardees can possess. The honor and the promotion somehow provide the awardees company popularity and quality assurance that customers and consumers seek out. The said award becomes a show window of the high standards that a company achieves throughout its existence. It also brings about the respect and gives the image that the company not only offers quality service but also social responsibility. It can speak of the capable and proficient manpower a tummy may have. As a liaison officeholder of the US Navy commented, the bestowal of the award can be a great opportunity to acknowledge professionalism (US Navy).Receiving the award, companies and individuals can also avail of the different programs that the NSBE offers such as academic excellence programs, scholarships, lead trainings, professional reading and career opportunities i n the field of engineering and technology (NSBE Mission). Nevertheless, to think nevertheless a bit, the award has its disadvantage too. Since the NSBE is a group that uplifts racial equality, understructure groups that favor racial discrimination may condemn the awardees or the companies. Terrorist groups may instill fear to people that support such groups. Moreover, this threat is not utterly dangerous as coarse as the companies and organizations have steal security measures at hand. Past Winners of the Award Winners of the Golden Torch Award have been credited for their outstanding performance and significant contributions in the field of engineering and technology.One example is United Technologies Corp. (UTC), which is the 2005 Corporate Diversity Leadership. The corporation was appreciated for its professional achievements and commitment to diversity initiatives (DiScipio). UTC works for pass diversity, education and community outreach to minority groups. Competently, the company is a dealer of a wide range of high technology products and support services to aerospace and create systems industries. Other past individual winners are Alan Gilkes, Sandra Baylor and Dawn Robinson. Alan Gilkes was awarded Distinguished Engineer of the Year in 2000 for his invention of an electronic Braille display device.Sandra Baylor was winner of the Lifetime Achievement in Industry Award, having seven patents whereas Dawn Robinson, a product manager, is the recipient of the Outstanding Woman in Technology Award (Black Engineers). This years award list is as follows Woodrow Whitlow junior , Distinguished Engineer of the Year Rickey J. Shyne, Lifetime Achievement in Government Juan E. Gilbert, Pioneer of the Year Celia D. A. Earle, Outstanding Woman in Technology Arthur L. George, Lifetime Achievement in Industry Lorraine N. Fleming, Janice A. Lumpkin Educator of the Year Cheryle L. Peters, Minority Engineering Program Director of the Year Jonathan D. Madison, Graduat e Student of the Year Michael A. Thompson, Pre-College Initiative Student of the Year(Male) Kathryn M.Daniels, Pre-College Initiative Student of the Year(Female) Pre-Freshman Program in Engineering and Science, lettuce State University, Pre-College Program of the Year Benedict Lazare, Entrepreneur of the Year Dow secure Program, The Dow Chemical Company, Corporate Community Service UNCF-Merck Initiative, Merck & Co. , Inc. , Corporate/Education Partnership Texas Instruments Incorporated, Corporate Diversity Leadership Akibi Archer, Mike Shinn Distinguished Member of the Year(Male) Wanda Eugene, Mike Shinn Distinguished Member of the Year(Female) Barbara Michelle Nichols, Alumni Extension Member of the Year and, Edward Tunstel, Alumni Extension Technologist of the Year (2008 GTA Winners). The awardees surely received the honor due to their innovative contributions and achievements. demonstrationIn essence, the Golden Torch Award is an excellence in leadership and quality award. Ta king this into consideration, a nomination of the Lockheed Martin Corp. is not a liberal idea. Lockheed Martin is a leading international disaffirmation contractor that operates on aeronautics, electronics and information technology services as well as space and strategical missiles thus employing a large number of work forces from all over the world. The diversity and quality assurance that the company brings to its customers and employees is worthy of a Golden Torch Award by the NSBE. It would not be a long time before the company is acknowledged for its contributions in the field of defense technology.References DiScipio, J.United Technologies Corporation. (2004, December 14). Society of Black Engineers honors UTC for Diversity Leadership. Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http//utc. com/ sign on/releases/2004-12-14. htm. National Society of Black Engineers. (2008, demo 3). 2008 GTA Winners Top Engineers, Corporate Supporters win NSBE Golden Torch Honors. Retrieved May 8, 2008, fro m http//national. nsbe. org/Default. aspx? tabid=138. National Society of Black Engineers. (2000, March 10). Black Engineers are Recognized for their Contributions, Winners Exemplify the Importance of Mentors. Retrieved May 11, 2008, from http//www. nsbe. org/downloads/pr/press/gta00. pdf.