An ODU alum has been recognized at the 2023 Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) STEM Global Competitiveness Conference. Anthony Alston, a Newport News native and Class of 2022 graduate, won an award for Modern Day Technology Leader. 

Alston is known for being a critical component to his team and to Northrop Grumman–a world leading company in the defense industry that designs and develops weapons and military tech manufacturing. As a Senior Staff Systems Engineer, he is known to support “several major programs” at the company, which include Cross Domain Solutions, cybersecurity, AI architecture review, and Australian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure.

BEYA has been an annual tradition for 37 consecutive years.  It takes its roots in inspiring communities by recognizing the impact black engineers have had on the STEM world during National Engineers week and Black History Month.  Northrop Grumman recognizes hard-working and dedicated engineers like Alston and how employees are “encouraged to bring their unique perspectives to work every day.”

Alston said the following in response to receiving the Modern Day Technology Leader award: