OM grad earns philanthropy award

OXFORD, Miss. – Every morning Markeeva Morgan and his wife, Shaquinta, send their daughters off to school by emphasizing a message: Be learners, be leaders and be lights. “We feel these attributes form a foundation of humble greatness infused with a central compulsion to give forward,” said Morgan, the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Philanthropist Award from the University of Mississippi’s Women’s Council for Philanthropy. He is to be honored April 13 on campus. The 2001 UM electrical engineering graduate, from Madison, Ala., is leading a multidisciplinary engineering team to design and develop software for an aerospace vehicle. The 38-year-old avionics engineer works in guidance, navigation and control; and software management for The Boeing Co. Previously, he worked as NASA’s Space Launch System core stage avionics hardware subsystems manager. The Emerging Philanthropist Award recognizes Morgan’s service to students and organizations; coupled with his demanding, high-pressure career; and dedication to family, said Mary Haskell, OMWC chairperson. Besides working with UM students, Morgan, who earned a master’s degree in engineering management from Catholic University of America and who is pursuing a doctorate in systems engineering at George Washington University. He also teaches at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. (Source: Ole Miss 02/08/18)