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This page will continue to be updated as we receive speakers' information.
WORKSHOP SPEAKERS
Babatunde Onadele Jr. — CORE Builders
He/Him
Babatunde (Tunde) Onadele Jr came into the AEC industry after receiving his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from San Jose State. He brings over a decade of experience operating within construction teams and currently serves as a Senior Project Manager for CORE Builders, a South Bay multifamily general contractor. In his role he is responsible for leading project operations from design through completion and mentoring team members through their career journey. Outside of his operations he is passionate about DE&I within the construction workforce, specifically senior and executive leadership. Tunde is currently serving as the Board Chair for Associated General Contractor of California’s (AGC CA) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee and was honored as a 40 under 40 award recipient from the Silicon Valley Business Journal in 2023. Tunde takes pride in helping others and his greatest attribute is helping others reach their goals.
Rocco Tam — NXP
He/Him
Rocco Tam received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2003, 2008, and 2009, respectively. From 2008 to 2010, he was the founding member of an early-stage millimeter-wave semi-conductor company, Keyssa, Los Angeles, CA. In this position, he successfully demonstrated and developed the first ultra-short-distance millimeter-wave (60 GHz) contactless connector system. Currently, he is a Fellow at NXP Semiconductors, San Jose, CA, where he leads various RFIC research and development, such as the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, UWB, RFID and mm-wave CMOS SoC RF transceiver design. He is an IEEE Senior member and a member of technical program committee in IEEE RFIC symposium. He was the recipient of the 2nd place best industry paper award in IEEE 2023 RFIC symposium.
Julia Salgueiro — Preston Companies
She/Her
Julia Salgueiro is a prominent figure in the construction industry, currently serving as the Director of Operations Technology at Preston Companies. With a career spanning over 17 years, she has dedicated ten of those years to Preston, where she began in field operations and has since advanced to oversee construction technology company-wide. Her journey began with an internship that led her to forgo other educational pursuits in favor of immediate hands-on experience in construction management, which she describes as the most enjoyable work she's ever done. Salgueiro's passion for problem-solving and her commitment to her team are the driving forces behind her daily motivation and success.
Dr. Andrew E. Coats — Lockhead Martin
He/Him
Dr. Andrew E. Coats has been a Senior Research Manager at Lockheed Martin Space’s Advanced Technology Center since 2020. There he manages 30+ AI/ML researchers and engineers who work on a broad array of projects in sub-fields ranging from Computer Vision to Large Language Models. Andrew earned Masters and PhD degrees from the University of California, Riverside, after graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. All of his degrees are in Philosophy and Formal Logic, with a focus on the Philosophy of Language. Prior to Lockheed Martin, Andrew worked in various technical industry roles in different domains: application development for finance, bio-informatics for plant genetics, and data science in the information technology and national defense sectors. He spent 14 years with Cisco Systems, earning a variety of certifications in Data Science and AI/ML training offered there. He also helped to win one of the largest Cisco Services contracts with the Department of Defense, after providing multiple briefings at the Pentagon. Finally, Andrew spends most of his evening hours as a working singer/songwriter/guitarist, through live performances, recording, and teaching. He has released six albums to date; details may found at www.andycoats.com.
Jorge Quezada — Granite
He/Him
Jorge, the Chief Inclusion Officer at Granite Construction, is a champion of Inclusive Diversity. His innovative strategies foster creativity and innovation by embracing diverse backgrounds. With over 25 years of experience, Jorge has held various leadership roles at Allstate Insurance, Northwestern Mutual, and Kraft Foods. His commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) extends beyond Granite, as he actively contributes to community organizations and serves on several DEI committees, including the Associated General Contractors of America. Jorge’s influence also reaches the construction industry through his co-hosting of the Construction DEI Talks podcast, where he shares insights on building a more diverse and inclusive sector. His extensive involvement in civic initiatives and his leadership in DEI make him a pivotal figure in driving positive change in the construction industry.
If you or your company is interested in speaking at CED 2024, please email us at
engineering-diversityconference@sjsu.edu.
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