With summer 2016 in full swing, Webbies are making the most of their time off campus by doing a variety of things. While some are using the summer to take a much needed break before the fall semester begins, others are traveling across the country for internship opportunities.

Vincent “Vinnie” Commisso ‘17, is spending his summer in the Pacific Northwest working at SAFE Boats International (SAFE) in Bremerton, Washington.  SAFE is an American-owned aluminum boat manufacturer and leading supplier to military, federal, state and local law enforcement, fire and rescue agencies throughout North America and around the world.

In an effort to document his summer experiences, Vinnie has created a blog entitled, “A Seattle Summer, 2016” where he shares photos, videos, and details about his internship and exploration of Washington.

So far, Vinnie has visited a Navy salvage ship, gone hiking, attended a car show, visited a museum, and even met up with some fellow Webbies.

To visit Vinnie’s blog: http://seas16.blogspot.com/

This week, Webb proudly welcomed Lauren Carballo as the new Director of Admissions and Student Affairs!

Upon receiving her Bachelors of Arts from Muhlenberg College, Lauren went on to work as a Spanish teacher at an inner city high school.  Subsequently, Lauren served as Assistant Director of Admissions as well as Co-coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment at Lafayette College. Since 2010, Lauren has served as the Associate Director of College Counseling at Friends Academy in Locust Valley.

While at Friends Academy, Lauren advised and counseled students through the college admissions process, including guiding athletes through college recruitment and assisting arts students with creating portfolios or preparing for auditions, and she also served on the Academic Council. In addition to her admissions and academic counseling duties, Lauren served as assistant coach of the school’s track team.

As Webb’s Director of Admissions and Student Affairs, Lauren will create and implement creative recruitment strategies, advocate for students, develop a plan for performance measurement of the admissions process, and work collaboratively with other members of the Webb community to establish and implement programs that help ensure student success.

This summer, Lauren received her Masters of Education from Northeastern University.  When not at work or in class, Lauren enjoys tackling puzzles and is always excited to try out something new, such as ballroom dancing or dog agility training.  Lauren is looking forward to becoming a part of Webb’s unique community.

Webb Institute’s Assistant Dean and John J. McMullen Professor of Humanities, Dr. Richard Harris, recently had two articles published on the American novelist Willa Cather.

Cather, known as one of the most important American novelists of the first half of the twentieth century, was born in Virginia in 1873 and settled in Webster County, Nebraska, in 1883. Before her passing in 1947, Cather wrote twelve novels, six collections of short fiction, two editions of a book of poetry, and nine works of nonfiction and collected journalism, speeches, and letters.

Harris’s first article, entitled “Thackeray’s Henry Esmond and The Virginians: Source Materials for Cather’s My Mortal Enemy,” came out of a paper he delivered in 2011 at the 13th Willa Cather International Seminar at Smith College in Massachusetts. That article was published in Cather Studies, Volume 10 in 2015. His second recent published work about Cather, entitled “Willa Cather and the Art of ‘Recoverable Contexts’:  Source Materials for One of Ours,” was published in early 2016 in the Willa Cather Newsletter & Review. That article was based on a paper he presented at a Cather Symposium in Rome, Italy, in June 2014.  Another article, “Willa Cather, Howard Pyle, and ‘The Precious Message of Romance,’” will appear in Cather Studies, Volume 11 later this year.  Professor Harris also was a plenary speaker and a panelist at the 61^st Cather Spring Conference in Nebraska in the first week in June.  His paper was titled “Willa Cather’s ‘Doomed’ Novel: One of Ours and the Romance and Reality of War.”

On Saturday June 18, Webb Institute awarded nineteen Bachelor of Science degrees at their 120th Commencement Ceremony. Each graduating student received a dual degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

Webb’s commencement ceremony, opened with the singing of the National Anthem by the WooFs (Webb Family Singers), and included inspirational remarks from the ceremony’s principal speaker, Donald T. (Boysie) Bollinger. Mr. Bollinger, retired chairman and CEO of Louisiana­-based Bollinger Shipyards, was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Science degree for his exceptional contributions to the marine industry. In Mr. Bollinger’s address to graduates, he expressed his confidence that the graduates were especially well prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.  “I’ve spent my entire career in the marine industry,” Bollinger said.  “I’ve seen it wonderful and I’ve seen it miserable. It’s important you are able to maneuver through those wonderful times and those miserable times, because they will be coming. Whatever career path you think you have in your head now is not where you’re going to end up, because the world is not that clear of a blueprint, and your life is not as perfect as the science you have learned over the past four years.”

Additional remarks were made by Webb’s Chairman of the Board, George Campbell Jr., Ph.D., President R. Keith Michel, Dean Matt Werner, and the Class of 2016’s Student Speaker, Zachary Backas.

Backas’ heartfelt speech touched on the many triumphs and challenges his class encountered throughout their time at Webb, acknowledging that without the support of one another, completing the program would be impossible. “Thank you, to my class, for all that you’ve done for me. I wouldn’t be standing here without you. With your help I’ve done more than I could have ever done on my own,” Backas expressed.

In addition to the awarding of degrees, some students received additional awards and prizes for their outstanding academic achievements in a variety of areas, such as excellence in thesis and mathematics.

Following commencement, Webb’s Class of 2016 will spread out across the country to begin their professional careers in the field of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Notable employers include, Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates, LLC, United States Coast Guard, Resolve Engineering Group, Brooklin Boat Yard, and many others.

For full video of Commencement

For Commencement Photo Gallery