Aggie Spotlight – Cordell Charleston ‘97 ‘00

In the 1990s, African American students flocked to historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) due to a popular sitcom, “A Different World,” and for Cordell Charleston ‘97 ‘00, he was in search of “Hillman College.” 

“Growing up, I had never seen black people going to college until I watched ‘The Cosby Show’ and ‘A Different World,’ said Charleston. “I knew that I wanted to attend an HBCU that gave me a sense of belonging and allowed me to connect with people from similar backgrounds.” 

Charleston, a native of Illinois, attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in the fall of 1992 and majored in mechanical engineering. While in school, he was active in the National Society of Black Engineers and the Midwest Aggies Club.  

“I chose engineering as my career path because there are so many opportunities in this profession and it touches every aspect of life,” said Charleston. “A professor once told me, ‘If it wasn’t made by God, an engineer has something to do with it.” 

In 1997, Charleston graduated from North Carolina A&T and continued his education at the university and obtained his master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2000. In the same year, he was hired by Eastman Kodak Company in their Commercial & Government Systems Division located in Rochester, New York. 

“In my master’s program, I learned quickly there was a high demand for engineers in the aerospace industry,” he said. “Within my skillset, I have been fortunate to work as a design lead for reconnaissance and communication satellites.  I led 5 satellite programs and supported 13 in total.” 

Over the course of his 20-year professional career, Charleston has worked with three other companies since leaving Kodak in the aerospace industry, ITT Space Systems in Reston, Virginia, Orbital Sciences Corporation in Dulles, Virginia, Collins Aerospace in Rockford, Ill, and now in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

Charleston now resides in Greensboro, North Carolina with his wife and his three children. The oldest, Christopher, is a freshman at A&T studying electrical engineering. 

“I am happy that my son decided to attend A&T. Throughout the years I always stressed the importance of attaining a college education and to consider a university the best suits your needs, especially HBCUs. When it was all said and done, A&T was his top choice,” he said. 

In 2020, Charleston was instrumental in connecting his employer, Collins Aerospace with the College of Engineering to sponsor a room in the new Engineering Research and Innovation Complex (ERIC) at A&T.