The Corporate Equality Index serves as a benchmark for U.S. businesses’ adoption of inclusive policies and benefits for LGBT employees. Even after a significant heightening of qualifying criteria for 2016, Corning Incorporated received a 100 score for the eleventh straight year. 

For the 14th consecutive year, Corning was recognized by U.S. Black Engineer & Information Technology (USBE & IT) magazine for its commitment to supporting the 14 accredited HBCUs and ensuring a strong, diverse pipeline of STEM talent.

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, in collaboration with its partners in the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC), named Corning Incorporated to their inaugural Best-of-the-Best list of corporations in America committed to diversity and inclusion across all community sectors. The rating is based on supplier diversity initiatives, employee resource groups, workplace engagement opportunities, and diverse marketplace and community engagements. NGLCC is the largest global not-for-profit advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NBIC is a coalition of national diverse business organizations spearheaded by NGLCC that includes Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, National Black Justice Coalition, U.S. Business Leadership Network, and WEConnect International.

The Women of Color awards are presented by the Career Communications Group to recognize outstanding minority women in the STEM fields. Aleksandra Boskovic, research director for Optics, Surface, and Integration Technologies at Corning Incorporated, was named 2016 Technologist of the Year at the 21st Annual Women of Color STEM Conference. Dr. Boskovic has five patents that enable telecommunications systems to keep up with bandwidth growth at the speed of light. She leads a research group that builds understanding in optics, surface science, and thin films in order to make important inventions. These innovations are for high bandwidth communications, data center applications around the world for productivity and higher capacity, and novel glass surfaces. Named to the Technology Rising Star list at the Conference were: Dr. Yan Jin, senior research scientist, Biochemical Technologies; Dr. Xinyuan Liu, senior research scientist, Chemical Measurements; and Dr. Zhen Song, research associate, Materials Processing.

The BEYA 2016 Emerald Honors award recipient for Research Leadership was Dr. Carlo Kosik Williams, program manager, Thin Films Research at Corning. Dr. Williams was recognized as being a consistent leader in discovering, developing, and implementing new technologies, with an impact that radiates out into the product line, changing the way in which people live and work. Dr. Haregewine Woldegiworgis, senior research scientist, MT&E, and Dr. Adama Tandia, research associate, Modeling & Simulation, both received the Modern Day Technology Leader Award, which acknowledges those in the STEM field who are shaping the future of engineering, science, and technology.

Founded in 1950, The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is the world’s largest advocate for women in engineering and technology. With a membership of more than 30,000, the organization provides development programs, networking, scholarships, and advocacy. Gail Dyer, mechanical engineer, Machine & Automated Systems, MT&E, was presented with this award at the Society’s annual conference, to recognize her contributions to the organization’s programs, to engineering, and to the community during the first 10 years of her career. She has aided innovation projects for Corning and holds a patent for a method of molding hot, three-dimensional glass parts. While working as a robotics expert for Corning, Gail also serves as president of the Twin Tiers, New York Chapter of SWE. As leader of 70 women in her SWE chapter, she organizes events and has helped raise more than $14,000 in scholarship funds for students pursuing STEM careers.

The EDGE Awards recognize individuals or teams whose contributions and behaviors demonstrate exceptional commitment to diversity. Recruiting, developing, and retaining world class employees is critical to achieving Corning’s vision. This world class talent is as diverse in background, thoughts, and ideas as it is in culture, religion, or ethnicity. The Excellence Award, given to John Mauro, senior research manager, glass research, S&T, recognizes an individual who embraces of our differences as well also our similarities, and strengthens the bond across our diversity. The EDGE Diversity Champion Award was presented to the OFC Wilmington Plant Leadership Team. Both awards are given to those who lead by example and value diversity. They do this by:

• Embracing Corning’s inclusive culture and advocating for ethnic diversity initiatives.

• Coaching and contributing towards ethnically diverse employees’ professional development.

• Helping to resolve challenges faced by ethnically diverse employees.

• Leveraging diversity to improve business performance

• Actively participating and/ or encouraging individuals to participate in EDGE and other diversity activities.

• Proactively raising diversity-related issues to relevant personnel.

Two of Corning’s most renowned technical leaders – Shawn Markham and Dr. Charlene Smith – were recognized as Fellows in 2016. Charlene is the third woman in Corning’s history to be named a Research Fellow. And Shawn is the first woman to earn Corning’s title of Engineering Fellow. Because the level of contribution is so high, it can take nearly 30 years to become a Fellow. It’s a distinction reserved for those who make the most influential research, development, and engineering contributions to the company. Corning sees this milestone for Charlene and Shawn as particularly significant because it indicates how the company’s culture is fostering female leaders.

Qiang Fu was the 29th winner of the Stookey Award, which recognizes a member of the research organization whose work for Corning, like that of the award’s namesake, the late Dr. Donald Stookey, has led to significant creation and furthered the understanding of a new phenomenon. Qiang’s achievements during his career at Corning include initiating the first exploratory bioactive glass project as well as the development of two novel borate glasses that can support invitro wound healing. In addition, from an original research perspective, Qiang discovered the first petalite glass-ceramic and was able to make it fully transparent with good fracture toughness and ion-exchange capability.

Allison Tanner was awarded the 2016 Development Excellence Award. She is the ninth winner of this prestigious award, which recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions in product and process development with consistency of performance over time – who is also considered a role model among colleagues within the organization. As a 19-year Corning veteran and development associate within the CLS Development organization in Kennebunk, Maine, Allison is the first Life Sciences employee to receive this recognition. She has developed many new products for the business throughout her career and has 66 invention disclosures and 22 U.S. patents. Allison is a highly sought-after technical project lead, who effectively utilizes Corning’s Innovation process to deliver technology.

Recruiting, developing, and retaining world-class employees is critical to achieving Corning’s vision. STICA’s Excellence Award is designed to recognize an individual at any level in the company who has led by example, contributing towards the professional development of employees of Indian origin, being a strong advocate of ethnic diversity initiatives, and helping, directly or indirectly, to resolve challenges encountered by employees of Indian origin, and who values diversity of cultures, ideas, thoughts, and styles. In 2016, STICA presented this award to Dr. Suresh Gulati, a Research Fellow who retired in 2014. During his nearly 50 years with the company, Dr. Gulati, one of the first Indian immigrants to be hired, inspired everyone who knew him with his humanity as well as his commitment to civil rights and diversity.

The new “You Make a Difference” award was established by COC to recognize colleagues who go far beyond what is expected of them when it comes to diversity and inclusion. In 2016, the award’s inaugural year, more than 60 nominations were received from employees from around the globe. Each award decision was made by a region specific selection committee whose membership included ERG leaders and HR representatives. The inaugural winners were:

• From APAC: Wei (Vivian) Cui, CS and planning director in Shanghai, China.

• From EMEA: Hagen Kriesing, senior product line specialist, RF Connectivity in Berlin.

• From the U.S./Canada: Lynore Young, OFC Division Engineering program manager in Wilmington, North Carolina.

• From CALA: the CPWF Reynosa, Mexico chapter.