PLEASE NOTE: THE ENGINEER OF THE YEAR EVENT ON FEB. 19 HAS BEEN POSTPONED. A NEW DATE WILL BE POSTED AS SOON AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.

The UMBC College of Engineering Industrial Advisory Board will honor Michelle Brown Dutton as the 2003 Engineer of the Year. The event, originally scheduled for February 19, has been postponed.

Dutton, director of network planning and engineering for Verizon, began her career with Bell of Pennsylvania in 1988 in network engineering in Philadelphia. During more than 14 years with Verizon, she has worked in large business marketing as a systems engineer; outside plant managing as the design manager; marketing as the ISP market product manager; and regulatory as a Pennsylvania docket manager.

Currently, Dutton is responsible for providing a cost-effective, reliable telecommunications network of first choice to meet customer requirements. Her responsibilities include the planning and engineering of the central office, interoffice transport and power network infrastructure for West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania, which generates in excess of $4 billion in annual revenue.

A native of Philadelphia, Dutton earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her professional accomplishments, her civic leadership includes service on the boards of the INNterim House, a shelter for homeless single mothers, and INROADS/Greater Baltimore-Washington, a mentoring program that helps prepare young adults for corporate careers. She is also a charter member of the National Coalition of One Hundred Black Women.