Our Team
At 1881 Institute, we are dedicated to helping underrepresented populations start careers in engineering and technology.
1881 Board
Gina Allen
Information Security Senior Technical Writers at General Dynamics Information Technology
Kevin Ferguson
Program Director at Jacobs Engineering for the New Orleans School Recovery Facility
Kevin Ferguson is Program Director at Jacobs Engineering for the New Orleans School Recovery Facility Master Plan. At Jacobs, he is the executive manager of a $1.8 billion FEMA-funded Capital Improvement Program for New Orleans Public Schools overseeing community outreach, funding, design, design-build, and construction of educational facilities outlined in the State Facilities Master Plan for Post Katrina Recovery
Jean-Paul Detiege is a Sr. Mechanical Engineer at Intralox. He has 14+ years of experience and has worked on government contracts and on commercial products, focusing on design and analysis of mechanical structures. Jean-Paul also holds a Professional Engineering license and a Masters of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of New Orleans.
Ingenue Fields is an accountant at Xavier University with 18 years of experience in auditing, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting. She manages an accounting staff with multiple projects and consistently meets deadlines under pressure. Ingenue has extensive knowledge of accounting software and accounting processes.
Harold Jean-Louis is a driven serial entrepreneur with a Bachelor of Science who double majored in Accounting & Finance from Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Harold is the co-founder of Smart Coos with an expertise for creating, developing, and marketing e-learning platforms. Harold’s additional skills include Tax Preparation, Internal Audit, Accounting, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and Public Speaking.
1881 Staff
Bahiy Watson is the executive director and founder of The 1881 Institute. He is also a graduate of Tuskegee University where he double-majored in mechanical engineering and physics. Bahiy has 20+ years of experience in the mechanical design and analysis of aerospace and robotic systems. He has worked as a consultant for Lockheed Martin Aerospace, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Boeing Commercial Aircraft, Gulfstream Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, and Raytheon Missile Systems.
