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THE TSU CoETCS 'MIGHTY 100' PROFILE OF EXCELLENCE LaNita Fletcher Bonds She began a career as a Project Manager with the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) in 1987. As a PM, she manages teams of multi-disciplinary engineers on water resource projects, delivering projects from the planning studies, development of contract plans and specifications, construction through project close-out. Her career with the Corps has taken her on various assignments, such as, Construction Engineer (Fairbanks, Alaska), Emerging Leader, Task Force HOPE Tactical Operations Center (New Orleans, Louisiana), Program Manager (Washington, DC) and all over the United States. She was selected as Employee-of-the-Month in her organization in October 2005. LaNita is a registered Project Management Professional (PMP). Because Ms. Bonds has a strong sense of educational excellence and achievement, she has also been a part-time tutor for high-school Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and SAT preparation. She also has volunteered her time for the past 15 years as a Math Tutor with her church’s Tutorial program. “At one point in my life I wanted to teach, but I was urged into Engineering by my parents and a Geometry teacher (and a University offer for a full scholarship) because of my love for Math; however the desire to teach and inspire young people still lives in me. My tutoring and mentoring fulfills that desire”. In 1998, LaNita received the Woman of Color Technology Award for educational leadership from the national organization, Career Communications Group. LaNita is actively involved with the TSU College of Engineering through the Corps’ AMIE program (Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering) participating in mentoring, attending career fairs, university events, and working the College’s Pre-College Engineering programs. “My education at the TSU CoETCS (College of Engineering, Technology and Computer Science) gave me the confidence in myself and my technical knowledge, skills and abilities to compete alongside my co-workers in the corporate world. I probably never would have chosen engineering on my own. I was blessed to have people in my life that recognized my potential and guided me in that direction. I’ve never regretted my decision to attend the TSU CoETCS and I’m proud to be a graduate of the College!” “I feel the Endowment is important to the College of Engineering to continue the legacy of producing top bright, competent young engineers and scientists. I am particularly impressed with the way the CoETCS manages the pre-college engineering programs. Without this endowment, community-based programs like these probably would not exist. I had no idea about engineering or what an Engineer was until I was a high school graduate. I wish I could have had the exposure at a young age. The earlier we expose young people to engineering, the more competent they will become as professional engineers.
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LaNita Fletcher Bonds, PMP, received a BS degree in Civil Engineering from TSU in 1981. Upon graduating she started work as a Bridge Design Engineer with the Tennessee Department of Transportation. While there, she completed designs for 23 bridges (prestressed concrete and steel girder) throughout Middle Tennessee.
