At Hampton University, our Engineering alumni are never too far away. Wherever in the world they may be, they can surf these pages and stay in touch with their classmates, friends, and current students who are eager to know what they are doing and, of course, with the Engineering faculty who would like to hear from their former students. We encourage all our alumni to send us a picture or two along with a paragraph about their career and their life as Hampton graduates. You can also send us news items about yourselves or friends and we will post them on this site as space allows.

“After graduating in 2013, I went on to attend graduate school at Virginia Tech as a Bradley Fellow in their direct-to-Ph.D. program. The first year was definitely the hardest as I had to figure out a concentration and which lab group to join. After a lot of work, I decided to pursue research in controls. This led me to my current project where I am developing control algorithms for a mobile hybrid power system. The end result of this project is to combine multiple energy sources into a useful output while offsetting the cost of a hydrocarbon generator. In my spare time I like to ride my bike and work on my car.”

– Tim Pierce, ’13

“Following receipt of my Bachelor of Science degree at Hampton University, I worked for a group at Motorola that was known as MOTLABS at the time. I was based in Tempe, Arizona at the ASU Research Park. While I was there, I supported the launch of Motorola’s Third Generation Wireless platform. I supported Channel Characterization, performed system verification of C design and digital system verification in Verilog. During the years of economic recession in the US, I spent two years honing my speaking skills and my ability to present my knowledge. I taught Eighth grade Math and Science for Newport News Public Schools. In 2006, I began a Master of Science in Electronics Engineering program at Norfolk State University. There, I continued my interests in hardware and digital systems design. After the first two semesters, I spent my 2007 summer as an intern at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, New York. During that internship, I received an offer from Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) where I am currently employed. I now continue to work on my Master’s degree at Norfolk State University part time and work full time at Jefferson Lab.”

– Rich Wright

“As a happily graduated student from Hampton University, I am currently working in the military as an Ensign on the Coast guard cutter Sherman (720) as an Engineering officer in training. I am currently the division officer for the Electrician’s Mate. The education I got from Hampton University prepared me for working in the military; for example, completing critical deadlines, asking for help when I do not know what will affect certain situations and having a good work ethic. Now I go on critical deployments that enhance the nation’s security.”

– Zelalem N. Bell-Sparrow, ’07

“I received my bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in the spring of 2006. From there I started a full time position at Lockheed Martin, one of the largest defense contractors in the world. At Lockheed Martin, I joined the Engineering Leadership Development Program (ELDP) to hone my leadership skills while advancing my technical knowledge. I am now receiving my Masters in Systems Engineering from Cornell University while still working full time. It is a daunting task to work and attend graduate classes, but it will pay off in the end. At work, I currently develop hardware and software for radar and sonar systems used by our armed forces and allies. I enjoy my job because I see new and exciting things all of the time! One of the most important lessons I learned while at Hampton was to believe in yourself no matter what. If you don’t believe in your own capabilities, how can you expect others to? This is something that I use everyday!”

– Christopher Barr, ’06

“I received my Bachelor’s of Science from Hampton in the Spring of 2007. I’m currently pursuing my M.S./Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, with an emphasis in digital signal processing. The research experience I received from Hampton has formed the foundation necessary for my current studies. My advice to undergraduate students: keep on putting in those long hours of hard work, and if you plan to go to graduate school, those textbooks will become your best friends. It is a challenge, but it’s worth it.”

– Terrell Johnson, ’07

“After completing my four years at Hampton, I’ve returned to the Washington, D.C. area and will be working with BAE Systems with a position in Configuration Management. After I begin my employment, I plan to pursue a Masters degree. I enjoyed my time at Hampton and am thankful for the opportunities I’ve obtained from being there.”

– Brandon Buie, ’08

“My career began after I graduated from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. I currently work as a Senior Engineer for the Nuclear Engineering and Test division at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia. In this role, I work with the United States Navy and other members of the shipbuilding community to design, build, and test systems for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines…some of America’s mightiest and most complex machines. I want to thank all faculty and staff for preparing me. I vividly remember the all-nighters in Olin getting ready for tests and projects. So, students, I know it gets tough but I want to encourage you all to keep at it and yield the fruits…get that degree. Statistics show that the achievement is a great one. An engineering degree is a great springboard to whatever dreams you have.”

– Karl L. Sherwood

“I graduated from Hampton University with a BS in Electrical Engineering in May of 2006. After graduating, a month later I started working as a Patent Examiner at the United States Patent & Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia. I work in an area entitled Optical Testing & Measuring where I examine patent application dealing with optical devices testing, inspecting or measuring different aspects and parameters of devices such as wafer, circuits, semiconductor substrates and more. There are more than 5,000+ patent examiners working on site here in Alexandria and some at home, full-time through our hoteling program, and about 10+ Hampton Alumni here working with me. I also have to meet with attorneys and/or inventors on occasion, when they want to discuss their application. It is a very interesting job because I get to see new technology, inventors are seeking patents for. I am also apart of the NSBE chapter here at work and get a chance to mentor to new patent examiners, act as a judge in science fairs in the community and help plan events throughout our company.

I was also pursuing my MBA at The University of Maryland University College before my job stopped funding for higher education programs due to the economy hardships; but when they start funding again, I will continue with my graduate degree. I also am a professional model part-time and have been seen in Magazines such as ESSENCE, Upscale and Sister 2 Sister, been on msn.com and yahoo.com (in their health and fitness sections) and have an ad on the Club Series H155t Treadmills in Sport Authority stores across the United States. I enjoy what I do at the Patent Office, enjoy different have a few hobbies and travel when I can. The best advice I can let you all know as engineering students, is to obtain as many internships as you can (paid or unpaid), build a strong resume, apply to jobs as early as possible, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

– Iyabo Alli, ’06

“After receiving my bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from HU in spring 2006, I worked for the US Patent & Trademark Office for one year as a Patent Examiner. The Patent Office wasn’t the right fit for me, so I then moved on to the Naval Surface Warfare Center(NSWC), Port Hueneme Division outside of Los Angeles, CA. As an Electronics Engineer, Test Director at NSWC, I lead hardware/software installations and testing for the military. The brunt of my job is completed out in the field, so I’ve been able to travel all over the world in the short three years I’ve been at NSWC. While I have been to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and many other places, my most frequent travel destination is coincidentally Norfolk, VA. Every time I come back to the Hampton Roads area, I’m reminded of my college days at Hampton. One of the most valuable things I gained at Hampton was the confidence that I could be make it as an engineer. I remember wondering during my first semester at HU if I really had what it took to succeed as a Electrical Engineer. After realizing that all it took was hard work and effort, I used those same values to get me through to graduation. My advice to current HU engineering students is to get as much applied experience as possible (internships, research, etc.). Hiring managers want to see what “real world” experience you have before you even graduate.”

– Marcus Pollard, ’06

“Since graduating from the School of Engineering & Technology with a B.S. in Computer Engineering cum laude, I have enrolled in the University of Notre Dame’s ESTEEM program. ESTEEM stands for Engineering, Science and Technology Entrepreneurial Excellence Masters Program and exemplifies what it means to use your technical expertise to start a business or think entrepreneurially within your place of employment. It is a one-year program which assigns you a certain project of commercializing a product or process of a professor or your own idea using your technical background. The program is open to ALL STEM majors and is an exciting new way of learning the world of business. My project within the program deals with producing a device that uses PCR to detect the DNA of invasive species within the ballast water of commerce vessels. After graduation, I hope to secure a spot in the enFocus Fellowship in which I can consult local companies in South Bend and use my entrepreneurial skills immediately.”

– Mark Snelling, ’12

“I received my Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering as well as my Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering in May 2011. In August 2011, I became employed at Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc as an Information Services Analyst Consultant within their Systems Development capability. Although the bulk of my work has not been directly related to Electrical or Computer Engineering, I excel in my position because of my critical and analytical thinking skills that honed during my time at Hampton. This fall, I am hoping to further my education at Purdue University in their M.S.E./M.B.A. program. My mid-term goal is to oversee technical projects in a program manager capacity. Eventually, I aspire to start my own consulting company which specializes in systems development and systems integration. My experience at Hampton in the School of Engineering & Technology taught me that through hard work, anything is possible. I also have a lot of gratitude for my former professors for accepting nothing less than my best effort and really pushing me to strive for excellence.”

– Shelitta Sheffield, ’11