Webb Celebrates the Ribbon-Cutting of the Couch Academic Center
On Saturday, October 26, the Webb community celebrated the official Ribbon-Cutting for the Couch Academic Center.
The Couch Academic Center is a state-of-the-art academic facility housing all academic functions and maximizing student and faculty collaboration. “Hidden” under a green roof and overlooking the Long Island Sound, the academic center features collaborative student project and innovation spaces, integrated student design studios and classrooms, team rooms, computer and innovation/makerspace labs, a research center, faculty offices, and a student lounge. The architecture firm, Bentel and Bentel of Locust Valley, came up with the creative concept of this two-story building featuring green rooftop terraces, and DHI Construction of Lake Success, led the construction effort.
“I am honored to serve as Webb’s President on this historic occasion. This new building will propel Webb into the 21st century—a major leap forward for our academic program.” declared Webb president, R. Keith Michel ’73. “The new academic center will have an immediate impact on the recruitment and retention of faculty and students.”
Student Jackson Juska ’21 is looking forward to, “the classrooms being right on the water. All the huge windows let the natural light in…and we can see the Long Island Sound, ships, and boats, which will be a good reminder of what we are here for.”
The event included the dedication and ribbon-cutting of the new building, a presentation of 19 named spaces, unveiling of the statue of William H. Webb, Webb’s founder, followed by a cocktail reception and dinner. Remarks were made by Webb Institute President, R. Keith Michel ’73; Campaign Chairman and Board of Trustee member, Joseph Cuneo ’57; and Board of Trustee member and honorary alumnus, John Couch, who spoke on behalf of the Couch Family for whom the academic center is named. The event concluded with a 60-drone evening light show, in which the drones assembled into different nautical images.
“These amazing new facilities are incredibly important to Webb’s continued success,” said Mr. John Couch. “The overarching objective is to better prepare Webb graduates for what will certainly be a more dynamic, exciting and challenging high-tech future. This milestone confirms the commitment of Webb’s community to the Institute’s continued progress and preeminence in the fields of naval architecture and marine engineering. I am delighted to be able to honor my father, Richard B. Couch ’33, in this manner.”
The Couch Academic Center was made possible through contributions made to the Campaign for Webb, during which Webb secured a record-breaking $51.6 million in gifts and pledges. The Campaign was made possible by the generosity of the Webb alumni, 83% of whom contributed; the leadership of the seven Keystone and Cornerstone donors who contributed $5 million and $2.5 million or more, respectively; and, nearly 1,800 donors, including parents and friends of Webb.
View the entire Ribbon-Cutting photo album on Smugmug.
Webb Institute Selects 2019-20 Recipient of the American Bureau Shipping (ABS) Scholarship
Webb Institute, proudly announces Reneé Tremblay ′20 as the eighth recipient of the annual American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Scholarship.
The ABS Scholarship Program provides financial support to deserving engineering and naval architecture students based on GPA, class rank, leadership ability, and faculty recommendations. This scholarship is part of a broad program at ABS that supports students in the offshore oil and gas and maritime industries. Each year, a Webb student is awarded a full-tuition scholarship and a $2,500 room-and-board stipend. The seventh recipient of the ABS Annual Scholarship was Sarah Stretch who graduated from Webb in June 2019.
Reneé is a Webb senior from Bristol, Rhode Island. In addition to her outstanding academic record, Reneé has served the Webb Community as Co-Chair of the Leadership Committee, Public Relations Chair, member of the Women of Webb (WoW), and this year, Membership Chair for her section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).
“Reneé is an exemplary student leader within our campus community,” said Dean Matthew R. Werner. “During her time at Webb, she has been a shining example for other Webb students through her studies, community service, and professional development. We are proud to have selected Reneé for this honor.”
Reneé has thrived during her winter internships, a Webb Institute requirement for all students. Winter Work provides hands-on experience at shipyards, aboard ships, and in design offices throughout the world. As a freshman Reneé worked at Vigor Fab Shipyard in Oregon, sailed from Texas to South Korea aboard a liquified natural gas carrier as a sophomore, and in her junior year, worked in the Carnival Cruise Line world headquarters.
“Education is at the heart of the ABS mission. We are committed to investing in the next generation and to ensuring the maritime industries continue to attract the brightest and best. We will need all their energy and expertise to capitalize on the opportunities offered by digitalization and the low carbon economy, while continuing to advance the cause of safety at sea,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO.
“ABS is widely recognized as a worldwide leader in fostering maritime education,” said Webb President R. Keith Michel. “We are proud to continue our partnership with ABS in preparing the next generation of naval architects and marine engineers for the ever-changing challenges within the marine industry.”
Founded in 1862, ABS is a leading international classification society devoted to promoting the security of life, property, and the marine environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction, and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities.
The 2018-19 Webb Alumni Fund Breaks Yet Another Giving Record!
Our Webb Alumni Fund (WAF) was another great success this past year! Your generous and record-breaking contributions provided Webb $2,561,658, surpassing our goal by 14% and last year’s total by 4.5%. Webb still boasts the nation’s leading alumni participation rate with 72% of alumni providing support. Thank you!
Many of our alumni embraced the call for action during the Campaign for Webb by increasing their giving, which formed the foundation for the success of this historic Campaign. Our challenge will be to maintain and grow this level of giving for future WAF years.
You can have a big impact on the future of our fundraising success and Webb’s financial well-being by:
Maximizing your current giving levels – The WAF average gift is $3,190 and the median gift is $720. Perhaps these are goals you can strive for or comfortably exceed, depending on your circumstances.
Giving as early in the giving years as possible – this allows everyone involved in this effort to spend more time cultivating alumni that either don’t give regularly or have not yet given at all.
Serving as an ambassador for the WAF and Webb – Help your fellow Class Agents by encouraging classmates to maximize their giving and to give as early in the giving year as possible. Sharing your giving strategies (monthly giving, gifts of stock, gifts leveraging donor advised funds,
charitable distributions from your IRA, etc.) may inspire a new gift or new giving levels from your peers!
I can’t thank the Class Agents, Group Leaders, and the Development Office enough for the work they do and for the generous gifts they contribute. The success of the WAF truly is a team effort! Thank you!
| 2018-2019 | 2017-2018 | Change | |
| Total Funds Raised | $2,561,658 | $2,455,297 | 4.3% |
| Participation % (Webb Graduates Only) | 71.5% | 72.1% | (0.6)% |
| Participation % (All Members of the Webb Alumni Association) | 69.4 | 70.3% | (0.9)% |
Webb Institute Selects 2019-20 Recipients of the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship
Glen Cove, NY –Webb Institute, a four-year college specializing in naval architecture and marine engineering, has announced that Webb seniors, Louis Bock and Mara DuVernois, are this year’s recipients of the Crowley Maritime Corporation’s Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship.
Webb’s scholarship selection committee chose Bock of Pipersville, Pennsylvania and DuVernois of Menomonie, Wisconsin for their hard work, academic excellence, volunteer efforts, and superb leadership skills that they actively display on and off-campus.
Bock is a very active member of the Webb community. He is Chairman of Webb Institute’s Honor Council, which is tasked with upholding the esteemed principles of Webb’s Honor and Conduct Codes. Louis is Captain of the Men’s Volleyball Team, a leader within the Frisbee Golf Club, a member of the Sailing Team and an Officer of the Yacht Club, which helps to keep the motorboats in working order.
DuVernois has been involved with numerous student organizations, volunteer efforts, and community projects during her time at Webb, including Open House, the Summer Engineering Academy, the Women of Webb, and as Captain of the Women’s Basketball Team. During her junior year, Mara was elected President of the Webb Student Organization, the governing body representing all students on campus.
“Louis and Mara are tremendous leaders within our student body,” said Dean Matthew Werner. “Their contributions to the Webb Community and records of achievement are shining examples for their peers. Webb is proud to have them as recipients of this year’s Thomas Crowley Scholarship.”
“The Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship is a testament to Crowley’s ongoing commitment to higher education,” said Webb President R. Keith Michel. “We are proud to continue our partnership with Crowley Maritime Corporation and are most appreciative of their support of Webb and the next generation of naval architects and marine engineers.”
Since 1984, Crowley has provided more than $3 million dollars in scholarship funding for more than 1,000 students studying at maritime academies and other select institutions in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Central America. In 1994, Crowley Chairman and CEO Thomas B. Crowley Jr. established the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship program in honor of his father.
To support this specialized, top-ranked institution, Crowley initiated the Thomas B. Crowley, Sr. Memorial Scholarship at Webb in 2007 and has since given tens of thousands of dollars in support of the school’s students. Crowley’s involvement with Webb took on added significance in 2008 when the company acquired Jensen Maritime Consultants, a leading naval architecture and marine engineering firm headquartered in Seattle. Many Webb graduates are currently employed by Crowley and Jensen in several disciplines from naval architecture and marine engineering, to vessel construction management and vessel operations.
About Crowley
Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 127-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family- and employee-owned company that provides marine solutions, energy, and logistics services in domestic and international markets. Crowley operates under four business units: Crowley Logistics, a singular ocean liner and logistics supply chain division; Crowley Shipping, which encompasses ownership, operations and management of conventional and dual fuel (LNG) vessels, including tankers, container ships, multipurpose, tugboats and barges; engineering; project management; and naval architecture through its subsidiary Jensen Maritime; Crowley Fuels, a fuel transportation, distribution and sales division that also provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) and related services; and Crowley Solutions, which focuses on government services and program management, government ship management, expeditionary logistics and government-oriented freight transportation services, as well as marine salvage and emergency response through its 50 percent ownership in Ardent Global. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found at www.crowley.com.
Remembering Johanna Lee Exner ’08
By Alana Duerr ’08
Strong, smart, witty, self-deprecating, kind, thoughtful, caring, hardworking, thrifty, creative—these are the first adjectives that come to mind when I think of Jo. Like all of us in our class, I have many fond memories of Jo, and words do not describe our collective heartbreak when we found out that her life had unexpectedly ended this summer after a very brief battle with cancer.
Given Webb’s small class sizes, each person leaves an indelible mark on his or her class, and the Class of 2008 is no exception. Jo was the girls’ girl who could keep up with the guys and put them in their place when needed. She was quick with a quippy (and often self-deprecating) joke and a laugh. She was also smart and driven, and she and her thesis partner won the Lewis Nixon Memorial Prize at graduation.
Jo not only had an impact on our class but on all of Webb while we were on campus. Jo loved music, played piano, and graced the Webb Family Singers with her voice over her four years at Webb, and she also served as the social chair for at least two years. She came up with party themes and always selflessly lent a hand to help people find clothes, make clothes, go thrift store shopping, and do the girls’ (and sometimes the boys’) hair and makeup.
After Webb, Jo moved to Ft. Lauderdale. She was the first person in our class to endeavor to earn a professional engineers’ license, and, of course, she passed. In the midst of her professional success at Murray and Associates, she met her husband Mark. They had their first daughter, Kelsey, in 2016, and their second daughter, Colleen, in 2018. She was a loving and devoted wife and mother. In early 2019, they relocated from the Fort Lauderdale area to Houston.
Jo’s Memorial Service was held on August 3, 2019, outside Houston, attended by friends, family, and over twenty Webb alumni. There were lots of hugs and tears, but also a lot of laughter as we remembered all of the wonderful times with her.
Jo is the first Webb Alumna to leave this earth, and we can all agree that it was far too soon. If you have any pictures or memories of Jo that you’d like to share with Mark, their girls, or her family, please send them to me at moc.liamg@renxeojgnirebmemer. A college savings account has been set up for Jo’s girls, and if anyone is interested in supporting them, please click below.
