2006 AISES Professional Awardees
Sharing Wisdom and Knowledge
Text Prepared by Barbara Sorensen

Each year, the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) honors four individuals with an award that recognizes them for the outstanding work and contribution each has generously and tirelessly given to their related disciplines. These awards (Professional of the Year; Executive Excellence; Technical Excellence; and Most Promising Engineer or Scientist) are not given lightly.
Each nomination package is examined by a committee composed of individuals from a diverse pool. The criteria for each category are rigorous with the most important factor being the embodiment of leadership and advancement of American Indian and Alaska Natives in the fields of science, engineering and technologically related fields.
The following pages provide profiles of the four unique individuals who received this year’s awards.

Bevan Baas, Navajo, is assistant professor at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He says, “I grew up off the reservation, but our family frequently visited relatives in the Crownpoint/Gallup, New Mexico, area. My parents often spoke Navajo around the house and I regret not learning it better. I was born in Riverside, California and grew up (mostly) in Pomona and Upland, California.”
Baas spent two years at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, and then completed his bachelor’s in electronic engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He worked at Hewlett-Packard (HP) Computer Systems Division for two and a half years, then began graduate school at Stanford University where he completed his master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering.
After graduation, Baas joined Atheros Communications as the second full-time employee after the founding group. After a few years, he accepted the academic position at the University of California, Davis.

How did you know electrical engineering was for you and at what point did you decide that?
I actually majored in mechanical engineering and switched to electrical engineering (EE) during my junior year. It was a tough decision. It was probably the complexity and possibilities of digital systems (that were possible to understand!) that most strongly drew me to EE.

What does the future hold for EEs? Is this a growing field?
While the craziness of the late 1990s has died down, there are many job opportunities for EEs in many subfields of EE. The hottest subfield depends on whether someone is considering industry or academic research, but I believe the need for well-trained EE graduates will be strong for many, many years to come.

Did you envision yourself in this career when you were young?
Yes and no. I never thought of becoming a teacher, but since high school I always thought I would end up in some field of science or engineering. It wasn’t until my job at HP that I had an opportunity to develop and teach short courses and I really felt like I wanted to become a professor. That is the reason I earned my Ph.D.

What kind of support did you get from your family and Elders?
Very strong support. I am very close to my parents and brother and sister even though we are scattered around California. Without exception, they have all encouraged me greatly in all aspects of my life. For this, I am extremely thankful!

How do you feel receiving this award?
Extremely honored and grateful. I am very blessed by the Creator with my family and the many opportunities I have had in my life, among other things. This award was unexpected and I am very thankful for it.

Did you participate in any summer internships and if so, could you talk about their benefits?
During summers in college, I had two internships at Hughes Aircraft, one in mechanical engineering and one in electrical engineering. They were both very enlightening and positive experiences. I also worked at a small electronics firm running machines; as a paperboy; and at a fast food restaurant. I think working in a food preparation job is an excellent time to think!
I recommend choosing internships mainly for one reason: to learn what it is like to work in a certain type of job. It is far better to find you don’t like (or do like) a certain type of job before graduation in an internship rather than after graduation in a permanent position. Choose a position that will help you decide which specialty to choose in your major. Don’t worry about the pay. Keep in mind that many interns later accept permanent positions at the companies where they intern. Also, this is obvious but I’ll say it anyway, keep in mind that an experience at one company does not necessarily tell you how it would be to work at all companies in the field.

What wisdom would you share with young people in college?
I would not call it wisdom, but I do have some thoughts for young people in college. Choosing a major in college and graduate school is a big concern for many students. The best advice I can think of is to choose your field mostly by what you enjoy, and also with consideration as to what you are good at. No amount of money will make you enjoy your job if you don’t like the work, especially after a few years.
I think many students worry too much about how many jobs are in a field. Some will say, “I found out there are only 1,000 new jobs in my subfield this year, and there are 1,500 graduates!” My response is to remember you only need one job. Do excellent work in college and you will have a different problem: multiple job offers to choose from!

Chris Cornelius, Oneida from the Turtle Clan, grew up in Billings, Montana. His grandparents and mother and father raised him off the reservation because living conditions were poor and there were few job opportunities for his father. Cornelius says, “In a story that has probably been told by many Native Americans, my grandfather moved away from the reservation and chose to raise his family in a nontraditional fashion. This was done in order to improve the life of his family by giving them more opportunities and demonstrating to them that they were not inferior to their peers.”
Cornelius began his undergraduate education at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman. He joined AISES and found the college environment at MSU to be a challenging adjustment. Fortunately, the AISES program helped him with the transition.
Part of his success came when Cornelius finally recognized his professors as peers and equals. His background and perspective allowed him to accept change and adjustment as a process that occurs in both traditional and nontraditional environments. “A Native American cannot be simply categorized as a person who grew up on a reservation,” Cornelius emphasizes. “In my opinion, there is a wide range of people who qualify as Native Americans. The Native Americans we see today are products of the social environment they grew up in and how they adapted to it. Some people may have grown up with traditional Native American values, while others may have been products of an earlier American policy of assimilation into Anglo-Saxon beliefs and customs.”
Cornelius was the second Native American to graduate from MSU’s chemical engineering program in 1994 and the first Native American to graduate from Virginia Tech’s chemical engineering Ph.D. program in 2000. While at Virginia Tech, his research involved polymer synthesis, solgel chemistry, hybrid organic-inorganic materials, and their structure-property relationships for gas separation membranes. During his time at Virginia Tech, he was awarded several scholarships and fellowships such as a GE Academic Fellowship and an Eastman Chemical Fellowship in Polymer Chemistry.
Cornelius is a Principal Member of the Technical Staff (PMTS) in the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At Sandia, he is a researcher, principal investigator and team leader for the development of advanced polymers; polymer composites; inorganic materials via sol-gel chemistry; and polymer electrolyte membranes for hydrogen and methanol fuel cells; desalination via electrodialysis (ED) and Reverse Osmosis; and gas separation membranes. The hydrogen fuel cell membrane work is a part of the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE/ EERE) and the methanol fuel cell membrane development work is currently being developed as a joint research project with Sharp Corporation for the development of portable, passive methanol fuel cells.
The research goal of improved ED membranes is to improve the transport of ions such as salt by minimizing the energy required for separation, and to increase the biofoulingresistant RO membranes to enhance durability and lifetime to improve the economics of water recovery.

Who were your mentors in college and/or throughout your career?
My mentors in undergraduate school were Jane Curtis, Mary Lukin and Professor Bradford Mundy. They really helped encourage me to never give up and to apply myself. There were others during my undergraduate career such as professor Daniel Schaffer who responded with, “You’re not Swiss cheese,” when I asked him about graduate school and expressed fear of not being able to complete it because I didn’t have the same background as my other peers. The students in the AISES program were also instrumental in giving me a sense of community.

Did you envision yourself in this career when you were young?
My only thoughts about college and future career were instilled by my grandfather who told me when I was in 7th grade that I should become a medical doctor (he passed away a few years later). As far as imagining what I would be doing when I became older, I had my father to look at who became a diesel mechanic and was later promoted to a foreman for CATCO in Alaska. When I asked him how he arrived at where he was in life, he told me he had always wanted to learn more. Through his general mechanic training that he received at Haskell Indian Nations University, he continued to improve himself by taking advanced mechanic schooling and later becoming a foreman. In general, I think our curiosity of things helps define who we become and if there is an opportunity to flex that curiosity muscle, then what we dream of today will become what we are tomorrow.

How do you feel about receiving this award?
I am in awe, humbled and very honored to be selected for this award. I believe that there are many more talented Native Americans than I who go unrecognized and I feel very fortunate that I was selected to represent that pool of talent.

What is your history with AI SES?
I began my involvement with AISES during my undergraduate career. AISES helped me understand that while it is challenging to be a Native American in college, there are people who want to help you succeed. Consequently, during my undergraduate career I spoke with several professors about Native Americans, their untapped talent and the need to give them a chance to blossom as students. For example, one Native American student at MSU who was enrolled in the electrical engineering (EE) program was having a difficult time and skipping classes. I spoke with the student and his primary EE professor about this and how this student just needed a little bit of hands-on help. The student finished his bachelor’s degree in EE and I believe it was due in part to my involvement and his realization that he could do it.
At 3M, prior to my entering grad school, I shared my story with Native American high school students to encourage them to finish and continue on to higher education. I showed them around the plant to help them understand what it’s like to be a chemical engineer. At Sandia National Laboratories, I had the distinct pleasure of being able to participate on an AISES panel to discuss with graduate and undergraduate students the experiences of going through the process and how to succeed.

How do you bring your culture into your work?
I strive to integrate my beliefs in diversity and uniqueness of who we are as Native Americans into how we do everyday business. By integrating these differences into my work environment, I offer others a chance to reflect on how a diverse team can be a creative team.

What wisdom would you share with young people in college?
I would tell them to never give up and not be discouraged with failure because it is only temporary. Use failure as a tool to learn how to do better. I would also say that asking questions is a key part of learning, as well as teaching others what you know because it helps reinforce that information and makes you a better student.

Who or what influenced your career the most?
While several people helped me on the way to where I am today, my curiosity in polyolefins came from my experience as a research engineer running a pilot plant at Dow Chemical. While I was there, I was fascinated that one could take ethylene and propylene and form a polymer with very unique properties by just changing the ratios of these two gases. I think that experience hooked me on the idea of learning more about polymers. What is your favorite new technology? I would say my work in fuel cells and water desalination.

What trends in careers do you see growing?
I see that there is a growing need in the area of the sciences, but it appears to be requiring an advanced degree. Energy and water are two key areas that cannot be neglected as we move forward and populations continue to grow in countries like China and India. How we address these areas today is going to impact what we need to do tomorrow.

Frank Martinez, Navajo, is from Window Rock, Arizona. Martinez received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Arizona State University and his master’s degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Martinez started his career at Intel in 1991 and has worked in microprocessor design, application engineering, technical marketing and business development. Prior to his current role, Martinez was based in Munich, Germany, and managed Intel’s Government Solutions market development activity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He also served as technical adviser to Intel’s vice-president of Worldwide Solutions Marketing.
Martinez is the worldwide digital inclusion program manager for Intel’s customer solutions group. He’s responsible for setting the strategy and managing the operation of Intel’s worldwide digital inclusion program, which aims to significantly increase access to and usage of computers and the Internet among those who historically have not been able to afford or who lack the skills to use a computer.

Who were your mentors in college and/or throughout your career?
I don’t recall having a mentor, a constant guide or a trusted counselor in college or at the beginning of my professional career. The reality was that I didn’t know anyone who had gone into engineering from back home. What I do recall, very vividly, were many people such as family, friends, even people I didn’t know, as well as people within organizations like AISES, who encouraged me to “just try” and to do my best.
They didn’t give me a road map or a blueprint. They didn’t tell me what to do or how to do it. In a way, it was because many of us didn’t know the answer. But their encouragement and support got me through.
The analogy would be like running a race. I didn’t have a coach, but there were a lot of people along the way who cheered me on even though none of us knew where I was running. I’ve been very fortunate in this way. What is odd is that if I had listened to my counselors or mentors, I would never have gone into the field of engineering.

Did you envision yourself in this career when you were young?
No. I didn’t have thoughts of going into high-tech fields until a year after I graduated from high school.

How do you feel receiving this award?
Embarrassed. Humbled. There are many others who are more deserving. My only hope is that this recognition will encourage at least one person to stay in school and do their best.

What is your history with AI SES?
I first heard of AISES mid-way through my first semester of college at Arizona State University. I joined the organization and participated in several AISES activities in both undergrad and grad school including the AISES national conference, regional conference and leadership conference.
Since I’ve been out of college, I’ve participated in a few of the national conference events. The highlight occurred in 1994 when Intel was selected as the major corporate sponsor of the AISES National Conference in San Jose, California. The Native American employees of Intel, led by Louis Baca and Thom Lucero, did an amazing job of ensuring strong corporate support, sponsorship and employee participation in the event. There were between 1-2,000 Native American students and professionals from around the country at that conference. Craig Barrett, who is now Intel’s chairman of the board, was the lead keynote speaker. We also had an exhibit hall full of leading-edge technology demonstrations.
It was a great way to give back to the community and to encourage and inspire other American Indian students to pursue a career in the fields of engineering, science and technology.

How do you bring your culture into your work?
I have not made it a point to weave the culture I grew up in into the place where I work. Perhaps this is because success is measured differently in each place and many of the values and what is perceived as valuable are different on each side of the fence.
What I can say is that Intel is a diverse company with a worldwide presence and operation. Intel strives to recruit and retain underrepresented minorities and also supports and mentors minority organizations and groups within the company with programs like the Intel Native American Network (INAN). The Intel environment fosters, encourages and accepts different views, opinions and perspectives from people of all colors, races and ethnic backgrounds.

What wisdom would you share with young people in college?
When I was in high school, a wise teacher once said to me: “Go out and find me one thing in life that is free...and when you do, come back.” I still haven’t found that thing. Maybe he was trying to get rid of me or maybe he was saying that nothing is free.
Getting through college is hard. It’s not free. But the process, the struggle and the challenge of going upstream and climbing that proverbial mountain can make you a better person. College will open up a lot of doors and opportunities that you might not be able to see until you get to the top of the mountain. Whether I had been granted a diploma or not, I believe the experience I went through in trying made me a better person and enabled me to give back to others.

Who or what influenced your career the most?
Without question, my mom influenced me the most. She’s been our family’s prayer warrior for many years. She still doesn’t know exactly what I do today, but it was her guiding hand and words of encouragement that drove me.

What is your favorite new technology?
Technology is a tool. It can be used for good things and bad things. For me, it’s not so much technology itself that is interesting, but rather seeing the application of that technology used for good.
Today, industry standards and volume economics in the areas of information and communication technology are enabling tremendous possibility and opportunity in both developed and developing nations. Although only 10% of the world today has access to computers and the Internet, in the next decade we will see accelerated adoption and access on a scale never before possible. Bridging the digital divide, enabling sustainable economic development, creating new types of applications and services (distance learning, telemedicine, etc.) are real possibilities.

What trends in careers do you see growing?
When I was a freshman in college, one of my professors said, “Congratulations on choosing a field in electrical engineering. You will never be out of a job.” But it’s not that simple or easy.
It is easy, however, to become obsolete or irrelevant. The market continues to change, competition never stops, and globalization and outsourcing are real threats as well as opportunities. One thing is certain: we need to keep learning and, in some cases, pay the price and take a step backward to re-invent ourselves and our careers.
Some people build and climb the career ladder. What works for me is to “walk the circle,” to see different views, perspectives and experiences, and to contribute and challenge myself in new ways. I’ve been fortunate at Intel to have had significant opportunities to do this. I’ve held positions in microprocessor design, application engineering, technical marketing, and now in sales and market development. I’ve even had the opportunity to live abroad in Israel and in Munich, and have traveled to more than 40 countries around the world. All of these experiences “around the circle” continue to open doors of opportunity and possibility that I never dreamed of.

Ray Haynes, Cherokee Nation, Deer Clan, was born in Hemet, California. His parents were both born in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Haynes explains: “My 19th century family roots trace to the Indian Territory (Cherokee) and Texas (Tejano) bloodlines. My parents, Mary Bess (Ugi) and Francis Donald (Don Pancho) were both born in Oklahoma Indian Territory at the turn of the 20th century. They ‘emigrated’ to California in the 1920s and I was born in Hemet in 1944. I was the fourth child and named after my grandfather. My Cherokee name is Sog’wili (horse) and maternal family name is Oowala of the Deer Clan. This was transposed from the Lipe Family Farm location in Rogers County. My dad worked for the gas company, and because of his background, he always liked to live on the Mexican border; hence, we had homes in Chula Vista and El Centro, California, and then, Nogales, Arizona. My mom was a Christian Science practitioner, following in grandmother’s footsteps and likened herself to a Cherokee Medicine Man (Dida) in some respects.”
Haynes grew up on the border with an appreciation for both his Native American and Mexican American roots and says he was “fluent in Spanish once upon a time.” Haynes received his bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering as well as his master’s of business administration at the University of Arizona. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. in operations research from Arizona State University. Haynes is Professor Emeritus at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, California, and an AISES Sequoyah Fellow. He has spent 25 years working in the aerospace industry and 17 years in academia. Haynes is corporate director for technical alliances in the office of the chief engineer for Northrop Grumman Space Technology. He is a member of the AISES Corporate Advisory Council.

Who were your mentors in college and/or throughout your career?
Early on, my mentors were my parents and my older brothers— one is an engineer and one is a career Navy officer. Later, a variety of friends and bosses became good mentors. My most memorable mentor is Dick Croxall, retired Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) vice-president. He really understood both the university interactions and diversity. He was executive sponsor of both the Hispanic Network Group (Adelante) and Native American Caucus at NGC. He always had time and ideas to share.

Did you envision yourself in this career when you were young?
No way! I could not have imagined all of the wonderful opportunities that have come my way and continue to emerge on a daily basis.

How do you feel receiving this award?
I am very honored and humbled and hope that my story might inspire others to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and careers, and have an opportunity to give back.

What is your history with AI SES?
When I was a professor at Cal Poly, I worked as an AISES faculty adviser for about 10 years, became a Sequoyah Fellow a few years ago and have given workshops at national conferences.

How do you bring your culture into work?
Since most of my office walls have Native artwork and things, people tend to ask questions which provide a good platform for discussing Native American ideas. Otherwise, my goal is to listen, respect everyone’s point of view and be a mediator when needed, which I learned from my mother as one of her Cherokee characteristics.

What wisdom would you share with young people in college?
Find something you are interested in, study hard, be flexible. Don’t be afraid to change your direction when needed. Maintain a sense of humor and have fun. Having fun makes some of the hard times seem easier. At the same time, find good role models and where feasible, personal mentors with whom you can talk for new ideas.

Who or what influenced your career the most?
My Elders and my older brothers as noted previously. Don, the engineer, was employed by the Army Corps of Engineers for many years and consulted on the Alaska pipeline. His constant goal was to maintain the environment and local culture while making sure the technology worked effectively. Gene was a Navy officer and after retirement worked many years for the Yavapai-Apache Tribe in Northern Arizona. He became a big-brother for many of the younger tribal members by just listening and giving them time when needed to help sort out their lives.

What is your favorite new technology?
Directed energy. This can be used for so many things such as laser surgery, rocket propulsion, biomedical solutions, communications, manufacturing and when needed, even weapons of various types (think Star Wars lightsabers).

What trends in careers do you see growing?
I notice many engineering undergraduates starting out in one field or career and changing directions. This is good as they are pursuing new interests and adventures while having the foundation of an engineering degree. We have folks moving into business, human resources and finance via MBAs, some going into legal arenas with law degrees. Others are becoming more technically broad by going into both master’s of science and Ph.D. programs in other STEM fields.

Barbara Sorensen is senior editor of Winds of Change