Over his 35-year career, Dr. Parris has contributed significantly to the fields of science and engineering with his groundbreaking work in digital transformation across multiple industries, including banking, retail, high-performance computing, manufacturing, healthcare, aviation, and energy. Today at GE, he is applying digital innovation in partnership with some of the world’s largest energy producers and utilities to accelerate the world’s transition to a cleaner and more secure energy future.
H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and CEO, GE and CEO, GE Aerospace said, “Colin’s extensive knowledge across multiple industries—software, energy, aviation, healthcare, banking, and manufacturing—has been invaluable to GE. In addition to his many contributions to the industry, Colin is also a very committed mentor and sponsor of STEM talent, making him an ideal candidate for the Black Engineer of the Year Award.”
Dr. Parris joined GE as Corporate Officer and Vice President of GE’s Software and Analytics Research at the GE Research Center in Niskayuna, New York in 2014. In that role, he led the creation, development, and application of industrial analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and software systems research broadly across GE.
A central part of this portfolio is GE’s industry-leading Digital Twin Initiative, which he created and still leads today. Digital Twin is a leading-edge engineering modeling and data analytics capability that allows the modeling and control of industrial assets to increase their availability and performance and to optimize their economic value. Dr. Parris has written over 300 articles on Digital Twin, industrial AI, artificial intelligence, power systems, and machine learning and has published multiple technical papers and holds several patents. He is committed to pushing the boundaries when it comes to modern-day innovation and leading the next generation of GE engineers in doing the same.
Prior to GE, Dr. Parris spent twenty years with IBM focused on the digital transformation of many industries as the internet era began. Before that, he worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff, where he conducted research and advanced development in high-speed telephone switching systems and algorithms. Dr. Parris holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Howard University (1985) and both a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (1987) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (1994) from the University of California, Berkeley. He also holds a Master of Science in Management (Sloan Fellow) from Stanford University (1998).
Dr. Tyrone Taborn, CEO of Career Communications Group, Inc. (CCG) said, “Dr. Parris is a great example of this year’s conference theme—becoming everything you are. The work he has done throughout his career shaped history, and his innovative mind and passion for finding solutions through technology allowed him to break barriers and improve industries. We are honored to recognize him with the Black Engineer of the Year Award.”
Earlier this year, Dr. Parris was named the 2022 Business Intelligence Group (BIG) Innovation Award winner. He was also one of three GE engineers elected and inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2022.
Dr. Parris said, “I am honored and humbled to have been named this year’s Black Engineer of the Year. Over the course of my career, I have been fortunate to belong to diverse and talented teams that have helped make my achievements possible. This award is just as much theirs as it is mine.”
Dr. Parris will be presented with the 2023 Black Engineer of the Year Award at the 37th annual BEYA STEM Conference, which will be held February 9-11, 2023, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Dr. Parris has been recognized at the BEYA STEM Conference twice in the past, with the Dean’s Award in 1998 and the Professional Achievement in Industry Award in 2009.
About GE
GE (NYSE:GE) rises to the challenge of building a world that works. For more than 130 years, GE has invented the future of industry, and today the company’s dedicated team, leading technology, and global reach and capabilities help the world work more efficiently, reliably, and safely. GE’s people are diverse and dedicated, operating with the highest level of integrity and focus to fulfill GE’s mission and deliver for its customers. www.ge.com
About GE Digital
GE Digital, an integral part of GE Vernova’s portfolio of energy businesses, is a $1 billion software business putting data to work to accelerate a new era of energy. GE Digital has pioneered technologies like Industrial AI and Digital Twins to serve industries that matter for decarbonization like energy, manufacturing, and aviation. Our software drives insights customers need to transform how they create, orchestrate, and consume energy. Over 20,000 customers world-wide use its software to fuel productivity and reliable operations while reducing costs and carbon for a more sustainable world. For more information, visit www.ge.com/digital. GE Vernova, a dynamic accelerator comprised of our Power, Renewable Energy, Digital and Energy Financial Services businesses, focused on supporting customers’ transformations during the global energy transition.
About BEYA & CCG
The BEYA STEM Conference is produced by Career Communications Group, Inc. (CCG), the leaders in workforce diversity, working with all types of companies to help support them in promoting multiculturalism and gender equity in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). For 37 years, the BEYA STEM Conference has been a leading event for professional development, networking, and providing a resource for minorities to feel empowered. For more information about the 2023 BEYA STEM Conference, visit www.beya.org.
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