News

By Ryan Rayno, DEVCOM Public Affairs

LAS VEGAS – Berenice Verdin, Ph.D., an electronics engineer for U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, or DEVCOM, Analysis Center, or DAC, was selected for the League of United Latin American Citizens Excellence in Service Uniformed Services Public Service Award June 26, 2024, at Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The excellence in service award recognizes excellence in public service in the advancement of education, economic, health and diversity accomplishments, particularly within underrepresented populations of the nation.

The uniformed services public service award recognizes the achievements of service members and civilians of the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and other federal government agencies.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award, and I am immensely thankful for the recognition of my contributions and for inspiring me to continue striving for excellence,” Verdin said. “Working at DAC has given me the opportunity to work towards important and meaningful goals, and surpassing those goals, to impact the mission even further. The goal is always to ensure that Soldiers are fully equipped with the best resources to ensure war-winning future readiness.”

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award, and I am immensely thankful for the recognition of my contributions and for inspiring me to continue striving for excellence,” Verdin said. “Working at DAC has given me the opportunity to work towards important and meaningful goals, and surpassing those goals, to impact the mission even further. The goal is always to ensure that Soldiers are fully equipped with the best resources to ensure war-winning future readiness.”

Verdin was nominated for the award due of her community outreach initiatives and educational projects aimed at fostering educational opportunities and promoting diversity in science, technology, engineering and math fields from middle school to universities.

“The outreach engagements I provide are age-appropriate, hands-on presentations that open a world of possibilities for students to seriously consider pursuing advanced STEM degrees, and subsequently enjoying a rewarding career in government service,” Verdin said. “I design and provide interactive modules that help spark an interest in engineering through lectures, laboratory experiments and demonstrations, and field trips.”

Kurt Austin, a branch chief for DAC, nominated Verdin for a LULAC award because of these initiatives and projects that Verdin leads.

“Berenice Verdin has established a remarkable career that traverses both academia and government service, embodying a steadfast commitment to education, diversity, and professional achievement,” he said. “She quickly became known for her innovative teaching methodologies, revolutionizing the classroom experience and igniting a passion for learning among students from underprivileged backgrounds. Her tireless efforts in community outreach often take place on her own time, during weekends and after-hours, and these efforts not only enrich the lives of individual students, but also contribute to broader talent management strategies within the Army.”

“Berenice Verdin has established a remarkable career that traverses both academia and government service, embodying a steadfast commitment to education, diversity, and professional achievement,” he said. “She quickly became known for her innovative teaching methodologies, revolutionizing the classroom experience and igniting a passion for learning among students from underprivileged backgrounds. Her tireless efforts in community outreach often take place on her own time, during weekends and after-hours, and these efforts not only enrich the lives of individual students, but also contribute to broader talent management strategies within the Army.”

Verdin not only appreciates the recognition from Austin, but the mentorship from him and the rest of her team.

“I would like to thank Kurt Austin for his guidance and support,” Verdin said. “Having him as my branch chief has been exceptionally impactful on my career. The way he leads our team is admirable and constantly inspires me to do great work. I would also like to express my appreciation for my division chief, Isabel Goode: she is truly an embodiment of optimism and hard work. I’m proud to be a part of such a hardworking and innovative team.”

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The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, is home to thousands of Army scientists, engineers, technicians and analysts working around the globe to leverage cutting-edge technologies and empower the American warfighter with the data and abilities to see, sense, make decisions and act faster than our adversaries – today and in the future.

As part of Army Futures Command, DEVCOM takes calculated risks to find new technological solutions each day. Our experts drive innovation, improve existing technologies and engineer solutions to technical challenges. Our work goes beyond theory to simulation and prototyping. We take potential science and technology solutions from the lab “into the dirt” for experimentation alongside Army Soldiers. DEVCOM prides itself as a global ecosystem of innovators, from world-class universities and large defense contractors, to small, minority-owned businesses and international allies and partners.