“Young minds find innovation first,” said Dr. James Sheehy, Naval Aviation Enterprise chief technology officer, as he kicked off the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) Presentation Days here July 26 and 27.
The presentations were the culmination of the summer internship work of 27 undergraduate and graduate students and Ph.D. candidates who, under the guidance of a mentor, conducted research for 10 weeks in a variety of fields that included supercomputing, counter unmanned systems, atomic and magneto-optical trapping, and ceramic matrix composites. The interns worked in labs across the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s (NAWCAD) Research and Engineering, and Test and Evaluation departments.
A main goal of the program is to encourage students to pursue science and engineering careers in the Navy and other Department of Defense (DoD) organizations. Rear Adm. Shane Gahagan, Commander, NAWCAD and assistant commander for Research and Engineering, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), and Anthony Cifone, NAVAIR deputy assistant director for Research and Engineering, spoke to the many opportunities and advantages of working for NAWCAD and NAVAIR.
“We look to our young engineers to think differently,” said Gahagan, “and, unlike other workplaces, here at the NAWC, engineers can have a direct impact. We are the engineering heavyweights for naval aviation and empower our people to solve complex problems.”
“Empowerment is a blank board for you to solve problems,” Cifone affirmed.
The opportunity to work with mentors who solve those complex problems – NAWCAD and NAVAIR engineers and scientists — is one of the reasons the program has seen a 50 percent increase in the number of students participating over the past two years, according to Lynda Gustavsen, the NREIP coordinator for NAWCAD and NAVAIR. Gustavsen also pointed out that at least ten students from previous years are now employed with NAWCAD and several more are currently employed at other DoD organizations.
Scott Stevenson, a junior at Louisiana State University (LSU), who worked under the direction of mentor Dave Eby, Airframe Technology branch head, presented his research on “Polymer Composite Structures.”
“I learned a lot about carbon fiber composites and found it really interesting that the layout can be modified to change the strength of it in a direction of choice,” Stevenson said. “The Navy has continually been implementing composite materials onto aircraft, so all the research goes into making aircraft safer for pilots but also more efficient in flight and more durable through its life.”
Stevenson, and many of the interns, also remarked on the fact that when a mentor was engaged in other work and not readily available, other engineers and scientists were always willing to share their expertise and help.
“I really enjoyed meeting all types of people from various backgrounds and learning from them,” Stevenson said.
To learn more about NAWCAD labs and facilities, visit www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad. For more information or to apply to NREIP, visit http://nreip.asee.org/.
Scott Stevenson, a junior at Louisiana State University (LSU), who worked under the direction of mentor Dave Eby, Airframe Technology branch head, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), presented his research on “Polymer Composite Structures” during the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) Presentation Days July 26 and 27 at NAWCAD. (U.S. Navy photo)
