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.

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.

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

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!