Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) interns briefed their summer research projects during the annual poster session on July 25.

Every summer, NSWCPD hosts students from the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) and Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) internship programs. This year’s poster session featured projects from 65 interns representing 30 colleges from 15 states and Puerto Rico.

The poster session competition is the culmination of the student’s 10-week internship. The internships and other STEM outreach programs benefit both the student and the Navy. Students gain technical knowledge as well as valuable practical experience in the areas of problem-solving, team-building and leadership. The programs offer the Navy avenues for finding top prospects for recruiting.

The internship projects focused on researching solutions for current technical problems. Research projects ranged from solving issues in the fleet to solving issues at NSWCPD. The poster session is an opportunity for the interns to brief their projects to professional engineers, NSWCPD employees, and judges from local academic partners.

“Our interns were afforded the opportunity to practice their presentation and public speaking skills that will be valuable wherever their careers take them,” said Stephanie Davidson, NREIP coordinator for NSWCPD. “[The interns] have acquired a broader understanding of the technical capabilities NSWCPD provides to the warfighter, customers and sponsors.”

Capt. Francis E Spencer III, NSWCPD commanding officer, presented certificates for the top three research projects at the awards ceremony. Spencer spoke to the interns about the difference between private engineers and naval engineers, as well as naval engineer’s importance to the fleet.

“I hope that you were excited to work on something different,” said Spencer, who has spent a majority of his career as an engineering duty officer. Spencer praised this year’s interns for their projects and extended the offer to apply to work for the Navy full time “if you are interested in things that matter.”

The interns’ projects were judged both for their poster displays and for their ability to brief their findings to professional engineers.

Their posters were judged for readability, conciseness, and for their ability to grab a passerby’s attention. They needed to provide enough information that an engineer wouldn’t need to be briefed by the intern to understand the project’s findings.

This year’s first place winner, Gillian Abel’s project researched the use of Nondestructive Testing (NDT) to detect, understand, and attempt to stop DDG 51 Class rudder cracking. DDG 51 rudders have been cracking due to hydrodynamic forces on welds along the seams. Abel recommends Alteration Equivalent to Repair (AER) to recoat the current rudders, as well as back-fitting a twisted rudder design. The new design would reduce the stress on the rudders.

“I really didn’t expect to win,” Abel, an NREIP intern for the Shafting, Surface Ship Propellers and Waterjets branch, said. “It means [my project] was more important than I thought.”

Abel is a rising senior in the systems engineering at University of Pennsylvania. She will also take her lessons learned from her four years interning NSWCPD when she enters the Navy after she graduates from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).

“I learned that big issues that occur in the Navy are being investigated and fixed by both civilians and sailors every day,” Abel said. “It is important to understand how these two key players work together to solve major issues, and how they learn from each other's knowledge and prior experiences.”

Luis Osvaldo Lugo-Vazquez won second place for his project and briefing on storm water management. The project focused on stopping water pollution by making changes around NSWCPD’s Building 77 complex. Lugo-Vazquez researched creating rain gardens, tree trenches, and using pavement made from more permeable material to provide eco-friendly recommendations for the complex.

Lugo-Vazquez is a rising senior from University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus. He is also an NREIP intern with the Environmental branch of the Infrastructure Division.

Winning second in the poster session affirmed Lugo-Vazquez’s dream to work as an engineer in mainland America.

“As a Puerto Rican I’ve always wanted to come here,” Lugo-Vazquez explained. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”

The third place award went to Orrin Lewis, an NREIP intern for the Combat Support Systems branch. Lewis helped work on plans for the proposed Combat Support Systems Integration and Innovation Test Site. The site is intended to test components and systems. It is also intended to help train engineers and sailors. The site is expected to serve as a test bench for Littoral Combat Ships, Amphibious Transport Docks, and Ford-class carriers.

Lewis, a Philadelphia native, is a rising senior studying engineering technology with mechanical concentration at Temple University.

After completing six internships with the NSWCPD, Lewis is able to offer advice to the new interns coming in.

 “Take some time to network,” Lewis said. “Eventually, these connections will lead down a path of unthinkable possibilities.”

NSWCPD provides the Navy's primary technical expertise for naval machinery research and development and in-service engineering, as well as machinery cybersecurity and lifecycle engineering.

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