University of Tennessee senior in mechanical engineering, Julius Gunn, will receive the Black Engineer of the Year Student Leader Award on Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Black Engineer of the Year Conference.

"This opportunity is opening lots of doors for me. It is giving me the edge that I need to be competitive in this ever changing world of engineering and technology," Gunn said. "It is allowing me to have choices on where I want to work, which is great because it allows for me to truly seek the areas in engineering that I have interest like power generation and machine design. Ultimately, this award has brought to my attention that anything is possible through hard work and dedication."

Gunn has been a co-op student with the Rolls-Royce Corporation since 2003. He has been involved in several facets of the company including customer events, recruiting and educational events and leading company sponsored events for other co-op students.

"Julius is an outstanding role model not only for minority students interested in the field of mechanical engineering but for all students interested in the field of mechanical engineering," Rolls-Royce Engineering Employee Development manager Tiffany Brown said.