Manchester Group & Associates recognized Dr. Valerie Bennett (MSME '93, Ph.D '99), Founder of STEM Compass, Inc. (www.stemcompassinc,org), a registered 501c3 non-profit organization with the IRS, as 2016s, “Woman of Exemplary Distinction”. 

Under the STEM Compass Inc., banner, Dr. Valerie Bennett has been successful in galvanizing youth Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, (STEM), navigators for underrepresented groups providing them with transformative educational experiences that inspire and empower them to be innovators, leaders in technology, and problem solvers of tomorrow’s STEM challenges. She has been supported by Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia Tech, Florida A&M, ecumenical, political and business organizations.

Dr. Valerie Bennett is an Atlanta native, she holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, teaches Physics at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta and is one of the two founding Coaches of the Robotics Program. Under her leadership as Head Coach of the award-winning High School Robotics Team, they have won several Regional Competitions and has been recognized Internationally. Dr. Bennett brought her corporate experience from Manhattan Associates to Morehouse College to teach Engineering and Physics as part of the Dual Degree Engineering Program. 

To expose students to the excitement and importance of STEM in addition to creating STEM Compass, Inc., she served on the Georgia FIRST Robotics Regional Committee, worked as the Physics Research Coordinator for the TRIO Program, part of the Upward Bound Initiative, and for her commitment, she has been awarded the Innovative Teacher award by the Georgia Independent Schools Association. She has been a Research Coordinator for the Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and helps with programs like the Atlanta Cares Mentoring Organization, of which she is an Advisory Board Member, established by Susan Taylor, former editor of Essence Magazine. “I would like to work with Mayor Reed and Governor Deal to make the STEM Compass, Inc. more robust in the coming year”. 

“Further, through cooperative opportunities with the US Dept. of Energy, Silicon Valley tech companies, international corporations and an understanding by elected officials, I’m confident that the incoming Trump Administration will see tremendous value in continuing to promote STEM and there will be new sources of funding for us to expand upon our program for our future depends on it”. Dr. Bennett’s will also release books on academic success and biblical and robotics curriculum.