NEWPORT – Diana Rivera-Rodriguez and Kendra Spencer, members of the Electromagnetic Systems Department at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, have each won Career Communications Group Women of Color magazine national technical achievement awards, NUWC announced.
Each year, the award program recognizes women who have demonstrated achievements in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
Both women were named winners of the Technology Rising Star Award. Rising stars are defined as young women with less than 15 years in the workforce who are helping to shape technology for the future.
Rivera-Rodriguez, of Warwick, has been a tactical system support center lead for Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems for approximately two years. According to NUWC, she was principal investigator for the tall periscope project, addressing an issue with traditional mast sensors – low height of eye, limiting the view of the horizon. She is also an active mentor and role model for other young professionals.
Spencer, of Newport, joined NUWC Division Newport in 2009 as a financial manager and in 2017 became the financial lead for the Electromagnetic Systems Department. She oversees the technical project-management functional areas for financial and contracts execution.
In addition to those duties, Spencer was selected to be the special emphasis program manager of equal employment opportunity and affirmative employment efforts for African American employment at Division Newport. She has created multiple events and initiatives as part of that role.
Rivera-Rodriguez and Spencer will be honored at the CCG Women of Color STEM Conference award ceremony on Oct. 5 in Detroit.
Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributing writer.
