Keynote Speaker

Dr. Tanya Dugat-Smith began her NSBE journey in 1982. Her love for NSBE and belief in its mission has kept her involved in some capacity every since. She has held a number of positions including co-founder of the Austin Alumni Chapter, 1st Region 5 Treasurer, Chapter President and she is founder of the nationally recognized youth outreach PCI program, FreshStart, which has served more than 1000 students since its inception in 1992, many of which have since become engineers. She plans to formally join the Region V Advisory Board in the fall and last year she cemented her NSBE commitment by becoming a Lifetime Member.

Dr. Dugat-Smith has been honored with University of Houston's 2004 Distinguished Young Engineering Alumni Award, the 2000 Black Engineer of the Year Career Achievement Award for New Emerging Leaders and featured in issues of the Career Engineer and the National Society of Black Engineers' magazines. She has presented keynote addresses, facilitated workshops and given motivational presentations at numerous civic and corporate forums domestically and internationally and is a contributing author to Tavis Smiley's book, Keeping the Faith, with her inspiring life story titled "Pregnant Teen to PhD".

Dr. Dugat-Smith has a PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering from Texas A&M University. She has applied Engineering Management and Organizational Development practices to research issues in talent management and organizational effectiveness with special emphasis on Transformational Leadership and Emotional Intelligence in technical talent. She is also a pioneer developing Emotional Intelligence tools for applications in Education. She has a special passion for students, believing firmly that everyone can learn. She has taught Procurement & Risk Management and Project Management for the University of Phoenix. Her extensive training, experience, excellent people skills and effective, interactive presentation style are why Dr. Dugat-Smith is called on regularly to speak at companies, conferences and academic institutions. She has also earned a MBA from the University of Texas-Dallas' Executive Program and a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston. She is principal consultant of her own consulting company—Dr. Tanya & Associates—and has worked to bring stellar results to her clients in their endeavors ranging from business start-ups and strategic business development to process design, supply chain management and project management.

Dr. Dugat-Smith believes that her life's calling and thus career quest is to be a catalyst of significant, positive change and growth for individuals and entities. Through it all, however, her top priorities remain her relationship with God, her three sons - Jamar, Raymond and Cortlan - and her husband Oscar.