Fort Irwin’s own, Maj. Eric Nelson, received the Secretary of the Army’s Black Engineer of the Year Diversity Award in February in Washington, D.C. The Black Engineer of the Year Awards — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Conference (BEYA STEM) were presented from Feb. 7 to 9.

The awards are presented to individuals who exhibit exemplary performance in their field and are shaping the future of STEM.

This was the 33rd annual BEYA STEM conference and includes seminars, workshops, and career fairs, and creates an environment conducive to mentoring and networking. The event also aims to educate attendees about possible STEM career paths.

Maj. Nelson was among the United States Army, Modern Day Technical Leaders.

Nelson was born in Pickens, Mississippi and is married to Brenda Nelson, and has a daughter, Kirby and son, Tyler.

In the future, Nelson says, “I plan to remain in the U.S. Army for the foreseeable future. Upon retiring, I would like to teach at a university.”

Nelson also has a message to fellow black engineers. “This message is for everyone,” he said. “Find something that you love doing and become good at it, be a lifelong learner and leave a legacy by taking the opportunity to mentor those around you.”