Senior Spotlight: Alec Gonzalez ’20
Hometown: Melville, New York
Thesis Title: Webb’s Open-Circuit Wind Tunnel: Setup and Best Practices
Post Graduate Plans: Small Ship Design
What are you passionate about?
I love the outdoors, including both land and sea. Sailing and skiing are my primary passions.
What’s your favorite spot on campus and why?
Third deck balcony at sunset. No explanation needed.
What activities were you involved with at Webb?
The offshore sailing program.
Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Work hard, but remember to have fun.
Senior Spotlight: Grant Dixon ’20
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Post-graduate Plans: NSWC Carderock
Thesis Title: Design and Development of a Small Craft Collision Avoidance System
What are you passionate about?
Singing
What will you miss the most about Webb?
Spending time with all my classmates.
Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Try to win a position in the student organization; competition is minimal and they can be really fulfilling.
What would be the best job for you?
Professional Video Game Tester
Senior Spotlight: Linda Waters ’20
Hometown: Annapolis, MD
Thesis Title: A Machine Learning Approach to Renewable Energy and Cost Optimization for Wind-Powered Cargo Ships
Post Graduate Plans: I will be pursuing a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland with their Center for Disaster Resilience. My degree will be a joint focus on environmental and systems engineering with an emphasis on societal impacts.
What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
My favorite Winter Work internship was my junior year internship, where I was working with Naval Group in Nantes, France. My internship introduced me to artificial intelligence programming, which I immediately loved and was fortunate enough to incorporate into my thesis. It was also fun to travel, experience a new culture, practice my French, and eat delicious food everyday!
What are you passionate about?
Renewable energy and sustainability. Anthropogenic emissions, global warming, ocean acidification, and environmental destruction are rapidly changing the Earth, and, as an engineer, I hope to slow, stop, and reverse the adverse impacts of human behavior on the environment.
What will you miss the most about Webb?
I will definitely miss my classmates the most. After four years together, my classmates have become my family, and I can’t believe we won’t be living together, stressing out about assignments, and making countless happy memories together next year.
Who was your favorite mentor at Webb and why?
Professor Scott! He’s one of my favorite professors, and I’m so thankful that he was willing to be my thesis advisor. He always reminds us of the importance of integrity and ethics in our work, and he’s such a great role model.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I can play the banjo, am formally trained in Bach’s composition style, and know a lot about music theory – I’ve taken over ten years of music theory classes, including some college classes!
A Message from President Michel
The last few months and especially the last few weeks have been troubling times for our nation and the world. The coronavirus has challenged us, as it impacts our daily lives and leaves loved ones at risk. Then came the tragic and deeply disturbing death of George Floyd. I hope you have watched the video, and then watched it again. Yes, it is uncomfortable and painful to comprehend, but we must confront ourselves with the harsh reality of the world around us. This is not a time to look away. The killing of George Floyd is only the latest in a series of senseless deaths that has brought into focus the systemic racism and inequality that grips our nation. That a portion of our population lives in constant fear, a fear that is compounded by a sense of hopelessness, is both amoral and unacceptable.
The pandemic has captured our attention and our actions over the last few months but it will pass, as vaccines are developed and treatments are enhanced. The racism and inequality that haunts our society will be more difficult to deal with and will take longer to resolve. We should all be concerned. Individually we may feel powerless but as a community we can make a difference.
We should ask ourselves, “What can the Webb family do?” We can begin through self-reflection – by assessing our own biases, both conscious and unconscious. We can aspire to acts of kindness and respect. In our Strategic Plan adopted by the Board last August, we renewed our commitment to enhance diversity and inclusivity at our college. When we gather together again this fall, we will discuss what this means. How do we foster greater inclusivity at Webb while in the broader sense, confront injustice and inequality in the world around us? I look forward to engaging with all members of the Webb community as we work together to make a difference.
Keith Michel ’73
President
Webb Institute
Founders Day 2020: A Bit Different but Still the Same
On Founder’s Day, the entire Webb campus comes together to dedicate an afternoon to honor the philanthropic efforts of William H. Webb by participating in beautification projects around campus.
Due to COVID-19, this year’s Founder’s Day, observed on May 1st, 2020, was celebrated a bit differently than in previous years. The nineteen students who stayed on-campus worked alongside the remaining essential administration and staff. On-campus tasks included a lot of cleaning: the kitchen, bike garage, and the floors of the Couch Academic Building were left sparkling and thesis digitization and landscaping projects were tackled as well. Isa Hill ’20 gave the drab hallway near the Brocket Arms Pub a much-needed facelift by painting a beautiful nautical mural. The students also assisted Chef Rob in the kitchen by serving lunch and making home-made chocolate cronuts for dessert.
Founder’s Day also inspired a few members of the off-campus student body and administration. Kasey Kennedy ’23 helped her dad start a garden in her backyard, the Assistant Director of Development, Joe Casio, donated blood, and the Director of Athletics and Electronics Lab Technician, Pat Doherty, worked in his community as the Oceanside Sanitation Commissioner.
Thank you to the members of the Webb community who participated in this special event!
We hope to be all together for next years and make an even bigger impact!
Watch the video and experience Founder’s Day!