Hometown: Frederick, MD

Thesis Title: An Environmental and Feasibility Analysis of a Dual-Fuel System for a High-Speed Diesel Engine on a Fishing Vessel

Post Graduate Plans: Naval Architect at NASSCO in San Diego, CA

What activities were you involved with at Webb?
I have been involved in Women’s Tennis and Women’s Basketball since the teams were started, and I had the opportunity to be Co-Captain of both during my last season. I have also been involved in student leadership as SO President, part of the Education Committee, and planning various events.

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
My favorite internship was going out to sea with Maran Gas during my Sophomore year. Seeing a ship in operation, working with the operators, and witnessing the creativity needed to solve problems while underway has given me a much broader perspective on the industry and engineering as a whole than I could have otherwise gotten.

What will you miss the most about Webb?
I can easily say that the thing I will miss most is the people, especially my classmates. I have made so many great friends and I have four years of great memories of them. It will be tough to adjust to life when I don’t see them every day, but I know we will remain friends for years to come.

Who was your favorite mentor at Webb and why?
My favorite mentor was Peggy Michel. I spent a lot of time working on the garden and baking with her during my freshman and sophomore year, and she passed on a lot of wisdom. She taught me practical skills like gardening while showing me the importance of making those around you feel welcome, supported, and at home. Peggy remains one of the kindest, most sincere people that I have ever met and I am grateful that I knew her for the time that I did.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?
From your first day at Webb, be grateful for the opportunities you have here and look for ways to contribute and “make your mark”. Find your way to contribute and leave Webb a better place than you found it, but never forget how special this experience is. It is okay to recognize that something is great, and still push to make it greater!

Hometown: New York, NY

Thesis Title: Hydrodynamic Performance of a Lifting Body Using Near-Field Flow Kinematics from PIV Analysis

Post Graduate Plans: PhD in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering – Hydrostructural optimization.

What would people be surprised to know about you?
I was on Sesame Street a few times as a child actor. I got to meet the puppeteers for Elmo, Grover, Big Bird, and Kermit.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Do as much as you can (academic or extracurricular) early on to find your niche and then stick with your passion to develop it.

Favorite Quote.
“I talked to Professor Gallagher about it because it happened to him too.”
– Professor Onas talking about his incoming baby

What have you learned from other students?
If you want to impart change in your community, take initiative. Don’t wait for others to take up your idea.

What will you miss the most about Webb?
I will miss the late nights and camaraderie associated with all the work.

Hometown: Doylestown, PA

Thesis Title: Design of a High-Speed, Common-Rail Diesel Engine Test Platform and Support Systems

Post Graduate Plans: Marine Systems Engineer

Favorite Quote:
“Family is not necessarily blood, but instead who you’d bleed for.”

What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about learning. To me, life is boring if we do not ask questions. In today’s digital world, an infinite amount of knowledge is so easily accessible. All it takes is a bit of curiosity and becoming a life-long learner is the natural next step. Having learned so much in the past four years, I am excited to dive into an incredibly broad industry and learn as much as I can from the individuals already shaping it.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Never take any opportunity for granted. Learn to be grateful for the things and people in your life because there are many others who would do anything for a chance at what you have. The quicker one can ingrain this trait in their outlook on Webb and life, the more fulfilling the experience will be.

What’s your favorite spot on campus and why?
I guess my favorite spot on campus is technically not on campus. But in four years, I have not found a better spot than about a half-mile off Webb’s beach into the Sound. Straight out from Webb, I get the most beautiful view of the campus, the NYC skyline, or a Long Island Sound Sunset.

Hometown: Bristol, Rhode Island

Thesis Title: Bow Flare: The Effect on the Seakeeping Performance of Containerships

Post Graduate Plans: Horizons Hull & Systems Engineer at Chevron Shipping Company (California)

Favorite Quote.
“In a flight simulator, some users will practice flying first-aid missions into underdeveloped countries. Some users will practice flying passenger jets into skyscrapers. Knowledge is a tool, and like all tools, its impact is in the hands of the user.”
(The Lost Symbol, Novel by Dan Brown)

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
It is just impossible to pick a favorite Winter Work internship but I think my sophomore sea term is one to highlight. Never did I think I would step aboard a 300-meter liquefied natural gas carrier to sail from Texas all the way to South Korea in one shot. I spent nearly 50 days at sea, setting no foot on land in the between time. I made close friends with the officers and crew aboard and enjoyed working in the engine room with the engineers and my classmate, Chris. In addition to learning the life of a seafarer, my experience at sea gave me a great understanding of how ships operate, and how their design impacts their operation.

What’s your favorite spot on campus and why?
My most-recently acquired favorite spot on campus is my desk in the new Couch Academic Center. Despite only being able to spend two weeks there due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I really enjoyed my spot by the windows facing Bollinger Courtyard. Each night, it was the perfect place to view the sunset over Long Island Sound. Throughout my time at Webb though, I have had a great appreciation for Stevenson Taylor Hall too. I am impressed by the rich history of both the building and the grounds which I was able to study extensively in a humanities elective class I took during my Junior year.

Why did you choose Webb?
When I looked at a list of engineering majors in high school, I decided “Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,” the most-specific on the list, was probably the one for me. I pictured classes that combined three seemingly awesome subjects: math, science, and ships. When I visited Webb for the first time, I was enamored and knew it would be the perfect place to go. The opportunity to build my résumé, the impassioned engineering instruction, and the friendly atmosphere are just some of the things that attracted me initially.

Looking back at freshman year, to the time when I had spent only a few weeks at Webb, I remember it had already felt like a comfortable second home to me. Nearly four years after having made the choice to attend, I find myself incredibly thankful. I developed that résumé and received a great education which helped open the door to a career, my next opportunity. In Webb, I truly found a family beyond mine at home, and I made friendships that I am confident will last a lifetime.

What activities were you involved with at Webb?
I was involved in a multitude of activities at Webb, but some of my favorite things included helping both the admissions and communications departments. With admissions, I enjoyed giving tours of campus, managing prospective student visits, and volunteering at open house and events to share Webb with others. During my freshman year, I even took a trip to Texas to represent Webb in a college fair at a robotics championship competition. I love to speak to others about Webb because for me, it was a truly great place to attend college.

With communications, I served as the Public Relations Chair of the Student Organization for three years. Through helping manage Webb’s social media accounts, contributing content for Webb publications, learning about branding principles with administrators, staff, and the board of trustees, and more, I feel like this position gave me a minor in marketing with all of the skills I was able to develop!

In general, being super involved at Webb allowed me to improve my time-management skills and to contribute to keeping the school environment flourishing and fun to be a part of.

Hometown: Glenville, NY

Thesis Title: Concept Design of a Floating Home: Adapting to Sea Level Rise in the California Bay Area

Post Graduate Plans: Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates, LLC in Newport News, Virginia.

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
My favorite Winter Work internship was my sophomore year sea term. Since I had studied abroad at the University of Southampton during the winter that year, my internship was completed in the summer – I was on the Cape Horn, a MARAD contracted ROS ro-ro container ship moored at Pier 50 in San Francisco. It was seven weeks of biking around the city, sightseeing, and delicious food (and of course completing the sea projects).

What will you miss the most about Webb?
I will miss my class the most – It’s been a unique experience to spend three and a half years with the same group of people. We’ve had a lot of fun times together and it will be sad to not be all together again (at least until reunions).

Why did you choose Webb?
I chose Webb because I was interested in pursuing engineering or architecture in college and thought it would be cool to go to school in the Batman mansion. (It turns out naval architecture is very different than regular architecture)

What activities were you involved with at Webb?
Throughout my time at Webb I have been involved with the Social Committee, Running Club, Art Club, and Leadership Committee. My favorite role has been as Social Committee co-chair during my Junior and Senior year which involved planning various on and off-campus events and parties.