Carol Lynn Judge, Director Naval Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Outreach extends continued support to Minority
Engineering Programs at Purdue University.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (NNS) -- The Navy's Chief of Naval
Operations, Adm. Jonathan Greenert, states in his Sailing Directions to the
fleet, "To maintain our warfighting edge, it is essential that our people
be diverse in experience, background and ideas; personally and
professionally ready; and proficient in the operation of their weapons and
systems."
To maintain that diverse and ready force, it is essential for
the Navy to partner with organizations, high schools, universities, and groups
around the country to ensure that the next generation of potential future
Sailors is receiving the education they will need in science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM), and also diverse across racial, ethnic, class, and
gender lines.
During the week of July 21 - 25, the Office of Naval Research
(ONR) and Purdue University's Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC)
Sailors and Midshipmen partnered with Purdue's Minorities in Engineering Summer
Camp to do just that with a week of designing, building and testing of
SeaPerch, ONR's innovative, underwater robotics program.
"This is the second year we have used SeaPerch at our camp
and it is a phenomenal success," said Dr. Darryl Dickerson, the interim
director of Purdue University's Minority Engineering Program. "The
students love to be able to start from almost nothing and see it come together.
SeaPerch takes them through the whole engineering design process."
"It is important for us to partner with programs like
this," said Carolyn Judge, the STEM advisor for the Office of the Chief of
Naval Operations (OPNAV) office of diversity and inclusion. "This is a
good investment in the students future, which is a good investment in our
nation's future."
Purdue's Minorities in Engineering camp provides the Navy a
venue to further STEM education to a very diverse group of students.
"We want our Navy to reflect the country," said Judge.
"In the Navy, diversity is more than race and gender. We want a diversity
of ideas. This will ensure we are a more successful Navy fulfilling our
peacetime and wartime responsibilities."
ONR provides Purdue's camp with the SeaPerch kits necessary to
build the robots, as well as Sailors from both ONR and Purdue's NROTC unit to
mentor and guide the students through the building process.
"It is important to have the Navy here, so the students
understand the real-world application of what they are learning," said
Dickerson.
The weeklong SeaPerch build provided the students a lot of
different challenges and experiences that will benefit them in their potential
future engineering careers.
"This week they had to work in teams, which is important in
engineering," said Dickerson. "SeaPerch allows the students to work
in a different medium than what they are used to, and it gives them a technical
perspective and a level of appreciation for what it takes to make a vehicle. We
want them to come out of this with the confidence to do this on a much larger
scale."
Both Judge and Dickerson believe that the friendly competition
aspect of SeaPerch is one of the things that make it so successful as a
learning platform.
"I am always in awe of the students and their
enthusiasm," said Judge. "This week will hopefully make them aware of
the STEM and educational opportunities that exist in the Navy as uniformed
Sailors and as civilians."
According to Dickerson and Judge, the successful partnership
between the Navy and Purdue University's Minority Engineering program will
continue into the future.
"I am glad we have had this partnership," said
Dickerson. "We will continue to grow the partnership so that more students
get this experience."
Story Number: NNS140813-12Release Date: 8/13/2014 3:10:00 PM By
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Joseph R. Wax, Navy Recruiting
District, Michigan
*Originally Posted November 4th, 2014*
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