Employee Spotlight – Highlighting Our Colleagues in SVG!

Cadence’s SVG team would like to feature two team members who are making a difference in technology, Tracy Fox. Sr. Product Engineer for DisplayPort, and Kevin Beauford, Sr. Principal Product Validation Engineer. Read below to hear what Black History Month means to them and why they chose a technical career path.

Tracy Fox – Sr. Product Engineer for DisplayPort

I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE) and a minor in math. I have been a design and verification engineer for over 20 years with companies such as Cadence, Kodak, Xerox, Mint Technology, and LSI Logic. 

My journey as an engineer has allowed me to co-create a patent for JTAG verification, design and develop image-capturing technology for a satellite system for Kodak, and deliver various internal programs that increase efficiency and speed of problem resolution. As a Cadence employee, I work very closely with our R&D teams and our top customers by providing solutions and Verification IP training based on design requirements and needs.

I was born and raised in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. I witnessed crime and drug use growing up, which I attribute to low income and poverty. I remember the kids in my neighborhood hopping trains under a bridge in all types of weather just to get to school, because it was the only way to get there on time. It’s amazing that, looking back, only one person had their foot run over by a moving train.

The history taught in school every year was that Black people were brought over from Africa, made slaves, and the eventual revolution earned our freedom. As I got older, I became frustrated with history, because white people did all the good things and Black people were always struggling or getting killed. I remember asking my mother, “Did Black people do anything great?” She pointed out we were kings and queens in Africa. I was proud of it, but in America I could not relate to it, because I neither saw nor experienced anything royal or regal. My frustration grew and I eventually boycotted history. I refused to learn the same thing every year. One day, I was looking through a book and happened to see Black and white individuals in a picture of the American railroad being built. The picture caught my eye because the folks with the hammers and doing all the work were Black. The white guys pictured were only there for the photo. The caption, in sum and substance, gave credit only to the white individuals. I was angry, and from that point on, I realized the history books were written in a way that destroyed my self-esteem, who I am, and those who came before me.

Black History Month is a way to rewrite the history books and highlight the achievements of the people I identify with. When the Black History Museum opened in Washington, DC, my wife and I couldn’t wait to go. When we got there, we could not believe its magnitude and the amount of information at our fingertips. I learned so much, and my wife and I had so many things to talk about on our ride home.

I don’t believe we should be defined by our race. I do believe all folks can find something to be proud of in history. If we, as humans, can realize we can differ and disagree, while still making each other better because of these differences…we will have a better world.  

Kevin Beauford – Sr. Principal Product Validation Engineer

I recently joined the HSV PV team to provide system verification and product management. I chose to work at Cadence to help improve software quality for cutting-edge EDA products within a diverse and talented culture. During Black History Month, it is a very important time to reflect on the accomplishments of past and current Black generations. Despite social injustice and bias, Black innovations ranging from peanuts, Aero-foam, traffic lights, and electric railway appliances were created. The first successful open-heart surgery was performed in Chicago by a Black doctor in 1893.

Despite the accomplishments by Black inventors and scholars in the 19^th – 21^st century, racism and social injustice created a racial barrier that fostered segregation with decreased diversity and communication. Family, perseverance, leadership, ambition, and hard work were required within the Black community to overcome the racism and social injustice. My family moved from the South to Chicago in the 1950s for better quality of life, diversity, and increased economic and educational opportunities.

I grew up on the Chicago Southside (Beverly area) with hard-working parents who stressed the importance of family, education, perseverance, and ambition. My parents grew up in the Chicago Englewood and West Side and were able to build a better life for the family in the Chicago Beverly area. Math and science were always my favorite subjects throughout my education, in addition to my affinity for sports. I have enjoyed computers since the first family PC from Radio Shack arrived, mainly playing video games on it. However, one of my first turning points occurred in school while watching a NASA shuttle launch on live television with my classmates. That NASA shuttle launch was not successful, and that tragedy underscored the importance and impact of quality software and hardware.

I initially planned to study aerospace engineering and selected computer science. I have 3 U.S. Patents granted and approved in the telecommunications industry. During my tenure in the defense industry, I acquired a Top-Secret government clearance. Recently, I completed my MBA. at DePaul University in 2021 (with distinction) and continue to learn and enhance my technical, communication, and leadership skills. 

The importance of racial equality, kindness, and respect was always reinforced by my family and community. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech highlighted the importance of being judged by the content of a person’s character without bias. People of all creeds and races must continue to end social injustice and racism through respect, love, and kindness.